The enigmatic Mr. Kahoano

'Making the Band' finalist mum about future plans

May 26, 2000
Web posted at: 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 GMT)

By Shayla Thiel
Special to CNN Interactive

(CNN) -- Who's the coolest finalist on ABC's "Making the Band," that boy-band-in-the-making show from ABC? A lot of fans say it's Ikaika Kahoano, an enigma on and off the screen.

Will he stay on the show and continue his quest to make the band? Or will the 21-year-old return home to Hawaii to marry his girlfriend and finish college?

Neither he nor his older brother Haku -- a member of the family band ANO, which is composed of the two siblings plus their younger brother, Kamuela -- would say in a recent interview what Ikaika's plans are. But they did answer some questions about the younger Kahoano's experiences on "Making the Band," which premiered in March, and how they have affected their family's life.

CNN: How did you become involved in "Making the Band"?

Ikaika: I was working as a radio personality in the morning on my father's radio show before I went to school. We kept everyone posted on what was going on in the news. In late October, there was an article in the Honolulu Advertiser about the auditions. I went and the rest is history.

CNN: What were the biggest challenges you faced going through the audition process?

Ikaika: The biggest challenge for me was that I was in college and the semester was coming to a close and I had finals to take. It was tough being there with finals on my mind.

CNN: How different was the experience of "MTB" compared with your previous efforts in the music industry?

Ikaika: The difference was that "MTB" was for television as well as music, and many times I felt that it was more about TV than music.

CNN: What was the main thing you learned from your participation in "MTB"?

Ikaika: The main thing I learned is that there is a price to pay for anything that I do.

CNN: Any words of wisdom?

Ikaika: Always be true to yourself and understand the price it is that you will have to pay for anything you do. Never sell out, and don't let money rule you.

CNN, to Haku: How has this sudden worldwide interest in Ikaika affected the family band?

Haku: Without Ikaika's participation in this show, no one would really know of us. Also, it gives ... Kamuela a chance in the industry that he would otherwise have to work his whole life (for) and still maybe never get.

CNN: How does the rest of the family feel about it?

Haku: We all support Ikaika in whatever he wants to do.