HAPA

Flights & Sounds of Summer

September 19, 2009, 8:00 PM
Free Admission, $8 Parking (Map)

Last summer’s HAPA concert at the Great Park was among our favorites; this year Barry Flanagan and Nathan Aweau are joined by traditional chant master Charles Ka’upu for an evening of Hawaiian bliss. Known as “the sound of Maui,” HAPA filters the pan-Polynesian traditions of Hawaii through the lens of contemporary acoustic music to create a sound that has kept them in demand on the festival circuit while earning them a record-breaking number of Na Hoku Hanohano (“Hawaiian Grammy”) Awards.

The core musical duo of the band sound like brothers though they are from different islands: Nathan Kawai Aweau was born on Oahu, and learned ukulele from his dad; Barry Flanagan is from the relatively far-flung isle of Manhattan, and only learned Hawaii’s musical styles as an adult, when he came to the islands in 1983 to study the music.

The pair’s intertwining guitars and vocal harmonies result in music the Los Angeles Times has called “beautiful, fragile, spiritual, powerful,” while the Orange County Register singled out Flanagan’s guitar artistry, saying it “showed off such a combination of dexterity and soulfulness that he brought to mind some mid-Pacific amalgam of Mark Knopfler, Chet Atkins and Wes Montgomery.”

Flanagan composes much of the group’s music, and several of his compositions, such as “Lei Pikake,” have become instant Hawaiian classics. The group also does well with songs from some other islands, including Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and U2’s “In the Name of Love.”

HAPA frequently expands to include traditional Hawaiian chanter Charles Ka‘upu a hula dancer, and bass player – and it is this expanded ensemble who will take the stage at the Great Park. Together, their bliss-inducing performance evokes Hawaii’s long traditions, while creating its musical future. Artist Website