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Health & Fitness

"Hawaii's hottest group" (Billboard) returns to Redondo Beach October 12, 2013

I was blown away the first time I heard HAPA 20 years ago when I was living on Oahu. I’d already heard a lot of Hawaiian music, but never anything like HAPA’s.  It was rich and authentic, but also hip and modern. Those wonderful original instrumentals captivated me immediately, and before I knew it, I was humming along. I began to hear HAPA's music played all over the island, and I can’t count how many weddings I attended where the brides walked down the aisle to Lei Pikake

Over the years and subsequent HAPA CDs, my appreciation for HAPA grew as I noticed how the non-Hawaiian songs they chose to record coincided with my own musical influences – songs like Joe Satriani's Always With Me, Always With You, Bob Marley's Redemption Song (one of the first guitar riffs I figured out on my own) and Earl Klugh's Debra Anne

Fast forward to 2009 and the opening set of the Second Annual Southern California Slack Key Festival that brought together Barry, Jeff Peterson and Jim "Kimo" West together for the very first time. This opened the doors to conversations about presenting a true HAPA showcase right here in Los Angeles, one that was long overdue. 

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Tickets & info: http://www.kalakoa.com/Kala_Koa/HAPA.html

Barry loved my idea of adding a live string section to some of their songs, and we put our heads together to come up with an evening that would include all their biggest hits, along with top-notch hula performances by Edieann Heali'i Stanley, Hula Hālau a Kawika laua ' Leinani and Hālau Hula Lani Ola and special guest ukulele whiz kid Aidan James who was introduced to the world on Hawaii Five-O, appearing for the first time on the mainland. In 2012 we proudly introduced hula soloist Kumu Hula Shawna Alapa’i, who joined us from the Bay Area.  

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This year at the 2013 L.A. Showcase, right here in Redondo Beach, we are stepping it up a notch with additional musicians and a Tahitian dance troupe, one of the best in California. 

As we lead up to the occasion, I'll be sharing video footage from last year's showcase and some of the mana'o (thoughts, knowledge) behind the music. For now, please enjoy this video montage of some of 2012's highlights: http://youtu.be/jqBQjrzh0H0

With aloha, 

Mitch Chang

Kala Koa Entertainment

Tickets & info: http://www.kalakoa.com/Kala_Koa/HAPA.html

Special Thanks:

Mark McDermott, Al Rudis, Sari Makki-Phillips, Matthew Keating, Randy & Steffanie Juergenson, Jim “Kimo” West, Kumu Hula Puanani Jung, Kamaka Brown, Piko McLaughlin, John La Rock, Jason Lauderdale, Jeremy & Pui Yee Kam, and Aya Sakurai. 

Percussion instruments provided by Alva’s Music in San Pedro

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