Keahiwai has all the elements of a successful duo

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

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KCCN FM 100 Birthday Bash 12th annual celebration presented by KCCN FM and Budweiser 5:30 p.m. today and Saturday (doors open 4 p.m., "Live at Five" session from 5 p.m.) Waikiki Shell Single tickets, $25 reserved pool, $19.50 reserved terrace, $18 general admission lawn; two-night tickets, $32 for upper terrace, $30 for lawn 526-4400, 296-1003 Tonight's lineup: The Mana'o Company, Keahiwai, Fiji, Kapena, O-shen, Koa'uka, Norm, Reign and the Island Music MVPs Saturday's lineup: Three Plus, Sean Na'auao, Natural Vibrations, Darrell Labrado, Opihi Pickers, Pati, Native Blend, and the Island Music MVPs About the Bash ... Heavy hitters: The Island Music MVP band includes Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom (who'll sing Alicia Keys' "Fallin'"), Ernie Cruz Jr. (performing "Guava Jelly" with a reggae-rap bridge), plus Sean Na'auao, Kelly "Boy" DeLima, Robi Kahakalau, Lopaka Col—n and Chief Ragga Jamin Wong. Freebies: Early arrivals will receive free FM mini-radios from KCCN; 5,000 per night. Radio waves: Ernie Nearman of Broadcast Resources is overseeing the shell sound, enabling those with FM radios to receive a broadcast of the concert via a low-wattage FM transmitter on site.

The name suits the "Local Girls" duo: Lei Melket, who lives in Mililani, and Mailani Makainai, whose family lives in Kahalu'u; they're Maryknoll Schools classmates who graduated a year apart, Melket in 1997, Makainai in 1998. Both are 22.

"The name is symbolic of our personalities," said Melket. "I'm fire, Mailani is water; our favorite colors are red and blue (go figure who likes what). The name works, though it came in kind of a rushed moment.

"We started playing a gig at a coffee shop (Coffee Cove On-Line) at Puck's Alley. We didn't have a name. We had to think of one, quickly, something that was easy for people to remember, something that would work on a CD, too."

Melket feels their harmony works, too, off stage and on, because of their earlier friendship from school days. In the annals of local show biz, they're making the right moves, earning two Na Hoku Hanohano Awards earlier this year, as peer-voted Most Promising Artists and public-endorsed Favorite Entertainer of the Year.

"We met at Maryknoll and have known each other since the seventh or eighth grade, but we both didn't play music until a little later, when we entered a school contest," said Melket. "I was a senior and Mailani was a junior."

Makainai was unavailable for an interview; she was on her honeymoon in Las Vegas last week after her July 13 wedding here. She will join Melket, of course, in the annual musical shindig at the shell.

Melket remembers the crowd reaction last year, when the duo were true novices. With the release of their award-winning CD, coupled with airplay and record sales and breakout hits such as "Over," "Promised Love" and "Baby," they're eager to reconnect with a live audience.

"I really like the crowd reaction, watching the fans sing along to songs that we've written. That is exciting," she said.

Melket is majoring in Hawaiian language at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, with hopes of becoming a Hawaiian-language teacher. Makainai also is a UH student, majoring in family resources and Hawaiian studies.

They divvy up their group chores, with Melket tending to Web site and e-mail matters, and Makainai assembling band members and coordinating rehearsal schedules.

"I think splitting chores helps, balances out everything," said Melket. "But beyond that, we've been friends for 10 years now. We started as friends first, then musical partners, so there's trust, loyalty already there. Forming the group was the easy part."

The duo already is planning a follow-up album.