Others compare the Hapa sound to the Kingston Trio, who led the folk music revival in the late 1950s and early 60s.  Kingston Trio members Bob Shane and Dave Guard once attended Punahou School in Honolulu.

Still others know Hapa as the "The Sound of Maui."  Maui is where Barry Flanagan met Keali'i Kanaeali'i at a Christmas party in 1983.  

When locals first heard Barry and Keali'i sing, they thought the two had been together several years.  Their soaring harmonies were similar to Crosby, Stills & Nash, and The Mamas & the Papas.  They formed Hapa shortly after and began recording in 1984.  Hapa played up to 500 Maui club gigs a year the remainder of the decade.

Barry Flanagan and Keli'i Kanaeali'i created Hapa's rich Hawaiian folk- pop sound.  "Hapa" (1993), their debut album, established a record in Hawaiian music history, with sales of over 100,000.   Since then, Hapa has become a household name, and Hawaiian music's most recognized name internationally.

Kenneth Makuakāne is recognized as the producer of producers of Hawaiian music. He has recorded many groups, including Nā Leo, HAPA, Amy Hānaiali’i Gilliom, Obrian Eselu, Raʻiātea Helm and the Pandanus Club. To date, Kenneth has pro- duced over one hundred forty albums, many of which have been successful albums for their record compa- nies. As a multi-instrumentalist, he has been on hun- dreds of recording projects. He has produced many hallmark albums for the prestigious educational insti- tution Kamehameha Schools; the historical Baibala Hemolele project which created an audio library of the first written document in Hawaiian language back in 1820; and the groundbreaking Disney music project of classics such as “When You Wish Upon A Star”, “Theme from Pocahontas” and others with a Hawaiian music bed, translated and sung in the Hawaiian lan- guage. He even produced their theme song for the “Moana” movie in Hawaiian.