Hapa and Jake

Hapa, who I discovered last year here in Maui, have a brand new CD out called, appropriately, "Maui." The liner notes say"…a soundtrack for 21st century Polynesia where native art, history, and music are pulled together by the powerful force of Maui."

Maui was a god who lassoed the sun and said he would let it go if it promised to circle the islands more often so as to make them bountiful. The sun obliged. Maui also dove into the sea to battle the shark dieties who controlled the oceans and after a fearsome battle emerged victorious and in command of the seas, wearing a shark tooth on a necklace, which has become a good luck talisman, especially while at sea.

I also picked up Jake Shimabukuro‘s dazzling non-traditional ukelele-based ‘Dragon.’ It’s quite amazing.