Henry Kapono
Henry Kapono Ka'aihue is an award winning and Grammy nominated singer/songwriter. He has taken home numerous Na Hoku Hano Hano Awards (Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy's) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Album of the Year. He is also the author of the award winning children's book, A Beautiful Hawaiian Day, has appeared in the films, Damien and Waterworld and has made many television appearances. Known as "Kapono", the Hawaiian word for righteous, Henry was christened "Henry Kapono Hosea Ka'aihue" and is a pure Hawaiian born and raised in Kapahulu, a small town located just outside Waikiki, Hawaii.
Although Henry has had no formal musical training, he started singing in a children's church choir at the young age of 5. "I was, and still am, a very shy person, but I loved singing especially in a choral situation," says Henry. "My Dad taught me how to play the ukulele. He would come home from work and sit in his easy chair and play the coolest stuff. I saw a friend of mine play a guitar one day and fell in love with the sound of it. He taught me a few chords and I've been hooked ever since. After that, I taught myself how to play by listening to records, radio and watching other guitarists play."
 Henry's athletic abilities earned him a baseball scholarship to the highly regarded Punahou Academy in Honolulu. After high school he earned a football scholarship to the University of Hawaii with dreams of being a professional football player. Although injuries prevented him from fulfilling his dream as a football player, in a profound way it moved him toward his passion for music and allowed him to fully realize his potential as an artist.
 Henry's professional career started as a solo artist in little joints around Waikiki. This led to a short stint playing rock in a local island group called "Pakalolo." The group played the islands and the far east where a defunct tour company left them stranded in Vietnam. Putting their situation and talents to good use, the group performed for the troops at fire bases throughout Vietnam and eventually made their way to Thailand. The 2 years that Henry spent overseas turned out to be a personal and professional odyssey that profoundly affected his music, his appreciation of life and his love of all people.
Returning to Hawaii, Henry's career kicked off in a big way. Forming a collaboration with Cecilio Rodriguez, from California, the duo, known as "Cecilio & Kapono" became an instant phenomenon that took Hawaii by storm. Blending together their distinctive and individual talents, they gave contemporary and folk rock a new perspective. Within eight months Cecilio & Kapono had a recording contract with Columbia Records, a first for a Hawaii group, crowning them the largest recording artists to come out of Hawaii.
Continually evolving, in 1981 Henry pursued a solo career with the extremely successful release of "Kapono - Stand in the Light." Since then he has created an incredibly broad range of musical expressions through 17 solo albums to date.
 Kapono has become a household name throughout Hawaii and the Pacific. His music has taken him all over the world and his fan base is very diverse. His musical journey has been a very Bohemic collage of innovation and creativity continually evolving in a way that very few artists are able to sustain. His influences, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Sting and Stevie Wonder, to name a few, are reflected in his musical tapestry that is exclusively Kapono. His music transcends his Hawaiian Heritage which he prides so much and embodies the spirit of Aloha that he has for all people.
Henry has the gift that most great artist share: The ability to enable us to gaze upon their painting or ponder their work or listen to their music and find new meaning and purpose in our lives. Henry touches the soul with the simple honesty of his lyrics and music, and the gift of an evocative, plaintive balladeer's voice that haunts you long after he leaves the stage.
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Achievements
SOLO ALBUMS
HENRY
Tropics
The Wild Hawaiian
Kapono Hawaii (Compilation)
Dukes on Sunday
Evolution of Poi
Home In The Islands
Spirit Dancer
Hits (Compilation)
Kapono (Sovereignty)
Same World
Song For Someone
Merry Christmas To You
Tropical Heat
Dreamer Boy ( A Childrens Story )
Piece A Cake
Stand in the Light
CECILIO & KAPONO ALBUMS
C&K
Hawaiian Nights
Lifetime Party ~ 30 Years of Friends VOL 2
Lifetime Party ~ 30 Years of Friends
The Journey Continues
Journey Through the Years
Summerlust
Goodtime Together
The First Noel
Cecilio & Kapono Together Live
Life's Different Now
Night Music
Elua
Cecilio & Kapono
ACTING: FEATURE FILMS
Waterworld
Damien
Behold Hawaii - An IMAX Film
ACTING: TELEVISION
Byrds of Paradise
Magnum P.I.
Live with Regis & Kathy Lee
Home and Family Show
Dancing with the Long Bone
The Last Paving Stone - A Children's Play
VIDEO WORKS
Henry LIVE
The Wild Hawaiian Experience
Lifetime PArty - 30 Years of Friends DVD
Kapono Home in the Islands
Cecilio & Kapono, Goodtimes Again"
Home in the Islands - An Original Screen Play
The Kenwood Cup '92
Song of Life: The Hawaii Nature Conservancy
Cecilio & Kapono "Unplugged"
Forever Hawaii
Forever Maui
Maui The Magic Isle
Volcanos of Hawaii
BOOKS
2000: "A Beautiful Hawaiian Day" Children's Book
Winner of the 2001 Ka Palapala Po'okela Award for Best Book
Hawaii Academy of Recording Artists Na Hoku Hanonhano Awards
(Hawaii's Equivalent to the Grammy Awards)
Rock Album of the Year (1)
Group of the Year (2)
Album of the Year (5)
Single of the Year (1)
Song of the Year (2)
Male Volcalist of the Year (1)
HONORS
Cecilio & Kapono - Lifetime Achievement Award
Hawaii House of Representatives 2011
Toast Master International Communication & Leadership Award 2010
Cecilio & Kapono Lifetime Achievement Award
Hawaii Academy of Recording Artists 2009
Grammy Nomination 2007 - The Wild Hawaiian
Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu Proclamation "Henry Kapono Day" June 3, 1998
City & County of Maui Proclamation: Maui Homeless Resource Center
City & County of Maui Proclamation: The Rainbow Within You
Guitar Inducted into Los Angeles Hard Rock Cafe
Album Inducted into Honolulu Hard Rock Cafe
Guitar Inducted into Maui Hard Rock Cafe
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