“Henry Kapono has clearly become the most prolific and profound island entertainer of his era – and there’s no stopping him.”
Henry Kapono is 2021 Favorite Entertainer of the Year and a performer who has it all – vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, composer, thrilling performer, audience favorite—and multiple honors and awards, including a Grammy nomination. He has taken home 21 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (Hawaii’s “Grammy”) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Rock Album of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Best EP, Compilation of the Year, and is the recipient of the 2021 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards for Contemporary Album of the Year for his latest album, Henry’s House, and the 2021 Favorite Entertainer of the Year. Kapono continues to perform live worldwide and is known for his legendary “Dukes on Sunday” afternoon Beach concerts on Waikiki beach. Running over 3 decades strong, Dukes on Sunday is also streamed live to tens of thousands of people worldwide each Sunday from 5p to 6p HST on the Henry Kapono Facebook Page.
Equally known for his philanthropic efforts and lifetime commitment to his beloved Home in the Islands, Kapono launched the Henry Kapono Foundation(HKF) in 2018. Its mission is to "Support the music and Arts community and by giving with Aloha.” Having completed over twenty Acts of Aloha since its inception. The HKF continues to support the industry by providing up-to-date resources and support to the music industry community.
While Kapono himself was “staying at home” during the 2020 COVID pandemic, he realized the unprecedented time upon us. As a result, Kapono felt the need to produce an outlet to inspire the message of love and hope to a shaken world. Thus was born Henry’s Positive World, a daily virtual messaging platform on YouTube, providing a positive perspective with thoughtful messages full of love, hope, friendship, music, and “all that good stuff.”
“If my music makes you dance, then do it. If it makes you sing, then sing it. If it makes you want to know more about Hawai‘i’s culture, then Welcome To My Paradise!”
Kapono has been at the creative forefront of contemporary Hawaiian music throughout his career, with the popular duo Cecilio & Kapono, whose music is as relevant today as in the 70s & 80s, to launching a solo career resulting in a Grammy Nomination and 20 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (Hawai`i’s version of the Grammys) and fans worldwide. Bestselling solo albums such as Tropics, Home in the Islands, Dukes on Sunday, Henry’s house, and Wild Hawaiian continue to break new ground with multi-genre contemporary music and his collaborations in Henry Kapono & Friends celebrating the music that represents the soundtrack of Hawai`i, and the Songs of C&K, an ingenious concept of a collection of reimagined C&K songs featuring Kapono with Hawai`i’s emerging entertainers. It’s the simple honesty of his lyrics and music that touch the soul and his wildly talented guitar-playing shares his joy of being alive. He has travelled the world with innovation and creativity of music that very few artists are able to sustain
Growing Up
Known as "Kapono," the Hawaiian word for righteous, he is pure Hawaiian, born and raised in Kapahulu, a small town outside Waikiki. He started singing in a children's church choir at age 5. His athletic abilities earned him a baseball scholarship to the renowned Punahou Academy (President Obama’s alma mater) and a football scholarship to the University of Hawai‘i. Unfortunately, injuries prevented a professional football player's career but profoundly moved him toward his passion for music and fully realized his potential as an artist. Though he had no formal musical training, "My Dad taught me how to play the ‘ukulele.” says Kapono. “I saw a friend of mine play 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.”
The Love for Music
“Cecilio and Kapono were Hawaii’s answer to Simon and Garfunkel…for several generations of listeners, those songs embody the sound of Hawaii, at least in part.”
Touring with a local rock band in the late 60s, Henry ended up stranded by the promoter in Vietnam. He and the band spent two years performing for the troops in Vietnam and Thailand before returning to Hawai‘i. The experience left him with a lasting commitment to peace, a deep appreciation for life, and compassion and aloha (love) for all people—themes that continue to resonate in his music.
When he soared to the forefront of Hawaiian music in the 70s with the duo Cecilio & Kapono, they became the first Hawai‘i group to achieve a national recording contract (Columbia Records). Together they recorded 13 albums, giving contemporary and folk-rock—and Hawaiian music—a new perspective. His solo career resulted in 20 albums, a Grammy Nomination and 20 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards.
In 2017 the legacy of Kapono’s music was featured in the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and the Hawaii Convention Center and relaunched as a digital program digitally for the 2021 Asian Pacific Islander Month. Additionally, Kapono has authored the children’s book, A Beautiful Hawaiian Day, and has appeared in major motion pictures, films, television shows, and commercials.
