Meet "Axel" Kaneali'i and "Barneldo" Flanagan.
Hapa: Have hair,
will rock
'Ambitious, diverse and imaginative'
By John Berger
Special to the Star-BulletinFOR almost three years, fans and skeptics wondered how Barry Flanagan and Keali'i Kaneali'i could possibly follow the incredible success of their self-titled 1993 debut album. "Hapa" won just about every award possible at the 1994 Hoku Awards and had sales to match. The duo's 1995 Christmas album, "Holidays," didn't really answer the question, although it was certainly pleasant and well executed.
The release of "In the Name of Love" this summer ended all doubts. Flanagan and Kaneali'i surpassed their previous work on all counts. Their original songs were articulate and well crafted; the remakes and standards were creative and imaginative.
Most groups would have considered "In the Name of Love" good for a year at least and milked it as long as possible, releasing one single after another. Not Hapa! Three short months after releasing "In the Name of Love" Flanagan and Kaneali'i are back with an entirely new and different full-length album -- once again ambitious, diverse and imaginative.
Surf Madness By Hapa (Coconut Grove Records)
Can you imagine the duo that released the Hoku Award-winning songs "Ku'ulei, Ku'uipo" and "Lei Pikake" playing the go-for-the-throat "surf guitar" sound defined by Dick Dale and numerous instrumental groups in the early '60s?
Here it is! Flanagan ("Barneldo") and Kaneali'i ("Axel") offer the best take on "Walk Don't Run" since the Ventures' definitive recording in 1960. The Surfaris' 1963 classic, "Wipe Out," is reworked with equal imagination, while Hapa's attack on the "Hawaii Five-0" theme has more guts and impact than the original.
The ultra-versatile Flanagan proves equally adept composing in the traditional "surf guitar" style. Will we ever learn the story behind "Nadine Won't Call Me Anymore (Clint's Back in Town ...)" or is it obvious?
There's a surprise within this surprising album. Anyone who thinks Hapa has forsaken Hawaiian music will find "He'eia" as beautiful as anything on the original "Hapa" album. Joe Satriani's "Always With Me, Always With You," adds further diversity. So do the contributions of Don Ho, Lawrence Lieberman (drums), David Choy (sax) and a few other guests.
Flanagan and Kaneali'i aren't doing this with a patronizing attitude often found in "oldies" projects. They're dead serious, despite the aliases. No local act in memory has dared stretch so far from the sound initially responsible for bringing them mass-market success, let alone do it this well. Axel and Barneldo rule! Right on, Hapa!
