{alltv} 4th Grammy nom for Tia Carrere

f the words "Grammy winner Tia Carrere" sound strange to you, that's OK. They were a little odd to her at first too.

"I felt like, 'I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!' " quips the 43-year-old Wayne's World alum, who took home a trophy for her album Ikena in 2009. "I kept the award in a box under my desk for a long time. I was actually kind of phobic about it."

Not any more. These days, being up for a Grammy is nothing new -- she was just nominated for her fourth prize in as many years. But she's no longer some leather-clad rocker belting out Ballroom Blitz. Now, Oahu-born Carrere is a Hawaiian chanteuse who croons everything from soothing island standards to re-imagined classical pieces with longtime musical partner Daniel Ho.

With their fourth collaboration Huana Ke Aloha (Translation: Love is Overflowing) in the running for Hawaiian music album at the 53rd Grammys on Feb. 13, the former Relic Hunter star took a break from putting up Christmas decorations at her Los Angeles home to discuss her career choices, musical tastes and feelings about the rock band that bears her name.

You're a Hawaiian-music star now. Is that as surreal to you as it is to other people?

Well, I did go double platinum on my Wayne's World stuff. So I'm diverse, if nothing else. But you know, I'm a singer. It's my first and foremost love. It's what I grew up wanting to be. And Daniel Ho and I first performed together when we were 14 years old. He went to the all-boys Catholic school down the street and I went to the all-girls Catholic school up the street and we met in the middle in jazz orchestra. It was the only place that we could hang out because everything else was a sin. So we were doing music way back when. And music was my life. I thought the best I could expect out of life was to be a headliner in a hotel in Hawaii. That's what I thought I was going to be.

So why did you go into acting?

It was just fun. It came easily to me. I never studied the classics. I never was in a play or anything. I got discovered in a grocery store and got my first movie. And six months after I was in L.A. I got cast in a soap opera, and after that the work kept coming for 20-something years. But I was always writing music and making demos -- I am the most demo-ed singer ever, probably. I have this trove of stuff, including stuff I did with Daniel. We both moved here within a couple of years of each other in the '80s. For a long time, I was busy with acting and he was busy with his music. What brought us together was I was asked to sing a couple of songs for a library benefit. I called him and we got up without rehearsal and did two songs we had done years prior. It was so much fun we decided to make a record. And we went back to the music of our childhood; the Hawaiian music we grew up with.

This album isn't what you expect from Hawaiian music -- it's very soothing and piano-based.

It's almost New Age, it's almost classical, it's almost lullabies. It's familiar but it's also a departure. We don't allow ourselves to be locked in by any preconceived notion of what Hawaiian music is. A lot of Hawaiian records are songs everybody does all the time: Hi'ilawe, Aloha 'Oe, Ku'u Lei 'Awapuhi. We are creating all-new, contemporary Hawaiian music -- sometimes with a classical base, sometimes with a jazz base, and sometimes with ukulele and slack-key guitar, which are more traditional instruments. We're just stretching and growing, and also educating people about Hawaiian music. People think it's just luau music, but there's so many subtle nuances. I'm really proud of the music we do, because they're records I like to listen to.

A lot of people must assume you're like the rocker chick from Wayne's World.

That's not at all where my sensibility lies. Personally, I think Sarah McLachlan is a goddess descended upon Earth. I was one of the 35 million people that rocked out with Alanis Morissette. I love Paula Cole. I love Linda Ronstadt. She's a huge influence. You can hear it in my vocals. I would practise to Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand.

Do you get more satisfaction from singing than acting?

Absolutely. I love singing. Nothing makes me happier. In any show I've done, any number of Asian actresses could have done those roles. But there's nobody that can sing like me.

Would you like to branch out beyond Hawaiian music?

I think my next album might be geared more toward English-language jazz. I'd like to reach more people, because the Hawaiian market is very limited. I love it and I love what we've done with it, but I'd really love to be able to get up onstage and do some of my Hawaiian stuff and some jazz stuff and some standards.

Have you heard of the Texas rock band Tia Carrera?

Yes, and it's a little bit annoying, to be honest. I appreciate the tribute, but it creates confusion, especially now that I've become more serious with my music. They don't spell it differently enough. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to tell them that they might have to find a new name.