Hapa and the Beastie Boys probably fit as well together musically as the Brothers Cazimero and Radiohead. So how is it that the Hawaiian and Polynesian music-fusing duo of Barry Flanagan and Nathan Aweau, who perform tomorrow night at the Waikiki Aquarium, were influenced by the New York rappers for their new CD, "Maui"?

Preach on, Barry:

"I'm not a huge fan of (the Beasties), although, you know, since I'm a white guy and they're white rappers, I gotta root for 'em," said Flanagan, deadpan. At this, Aweau, sitting across a table from Flanagan, nearly lost his lunch laughing as he listened in.

Then Flanagan got serious, talking about visuals: " 'Hello Nasty' was just an amazing CD package. 'To The 5 Boroughs' folded out on the five boroughs of New York," said Flanagan. 'We used 'Hello Nasty' as a sort of blueprint for this."

Flanagan gestured to a copy of "Maui," and its multipanel fold-out package, which shows the Hawaiian demigod Maui reeling in the Hawaiian Islands along with the islands of Tahiti and the Marquesas. The elegant watercolor painting and all the inside booklet and liner-note art was created by Native Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos specifically for the CD; the package was designed by Maui-based graphic artist Scott Johnson of Dogtowne Design.

Flanagan and Aweau agreed that both the artwork and their music were of equal importance to the finished project's success, on this, the first album the pair have made together.

"Maui" the album pulls together Hawaiian and Polynesian music styles, creatively mixing in slack key, blues, bebop jazz and spoken word just to keep things original and unexpected.

"Maui" is also the first studio work musically documenting the pulling together of Flanagan and Aweau as Hapa.

The multi-instrumental/vocal duo began building Hapa, version 2.0, in 2001 a few months after the demise of the longtime original lineup of Flanagan and Kelii Kanealii.

They'd met at a Don Ho show where Flanagan came away impressed by Aweau's vocals. A few days later, over lunch, they agreed to work together.

"It took a while for us to get into the studio," said Aweau, laughing, recalling the three years of constant rehearsal and playing he and Flanagan required of themselves beforehand. The duo even took 18 months to begin officially calling themselves Hapa.

"We had to develop our sound. And that kind of maturation level really only comes through performing," said Flanagan of "the hundred or so shows" the duo did before finally pressing "play" in the studio. "First and foremost, we had to learn about each other as people. Secondly, we had to concentrate on learning the old stuff, putting a new spin on it ... and also, of course, coming up with new stuff."

"We didn't want to rehash the old and do a karaoke version of Hapa."

A challenge for Aweau — never a fan of sitting down and memorizing lyrics — was absorbing Hapa's classic catalog of music.

"I was kind of overwhelmed," admitted Aweau. "I not only had to learn all of the English lyrics, but the Hawaiian lyrics. ... I look Hawaiian, and I am Hawaiian. But to me, that was still foreign."

As time passed between forming Hapa and entering the studio last September, Aweau took home two 2003 Na Hoku Hanohano awards for his own solo disc, "E Apo Mai."

"Maui" finallly came out, in March, peaking at No. 7 on Billboard's world music album chart. Flanagan insists, correctly, that there was "no skating on the old Hapa" on "Maui."

Opening track "Haleakala" flirts with old-school Hapa's acoustic sonics before cruising into Aweau's multilayered instrumental bass attack on "Twinkletoes" and convincing Tokelauan vocals on the lively "Papa E." Flanagan brings reverential yet natural vocals to a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" and creative slack-key fingering to "Slacking Off." Honolulu slam poet Kealoha and chanter Charles Ka'upu flow over swift Aweau and Flanagan Polynesian-style jazz on "Kealoha Bebop w/ Charlie."

"First and foremost, I wanted to make sure that Nate came across on this record," said Flanagan.

"I also wanted to make sure that this record didn't sound like any other Hapa record. That's the only way that you'll ever blow everybody's opinions or preconceived notions."

Just make sure you call us for lunch again when Hapa finally covers "Rhymin' And Stealin'," guys.