There’s a rhythm to these islands that enraptures you like a hula dancer. —Henry Kapono, “Welcome 2 My Paradise”
The title of Henry Kapono’s latest release, “Welcome 2 My Paradise,” tells you everything you need to know about how this now-iconic Hawaiian musician is feeling about life these days. His 20th solo album, the compilation of songs on W2MP, including the reflective title composition, reveals a lifelong love affair with his island home that has rounded in recent years into a lasting appreciation for the beauty, people, and culture of Hawai`i.
But as much as the songs are a tribute to the paradise that surrounds him, they are about the state of mind that allows him to celebrate the simple magic of every day.
“Welcome 2 My Paradise celebrates everything I feel about love, family, friends, travel, people and FUN!” Kapono says on his website. “To be inspired and to celebrate every day and in every way is My Paradise! I take it with me everywhere and share it with everyone every chance I get. I am fortunately blessed and extremely grateful. Music has been my religion, my world, my Paradise. Welcome.”
SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
Born and raised in Kapahulu, O`ahu, in 1948, young Henry started singing in a children’s church choir at age 5. He was a talented athlete who earned a baseball scholarship to the Punahou Academy and a football scholarship to the University of Hawai`i. Injuries prevented a career as a professional football player, but moved him toward his passion for music and allowed him to fully realize his potential as an artist.
He had no formal musical training, though he says, “My dad taught me how to play the `ukulele. 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.”
His blessings may be apparent now, some 50 years later, but as a young musician — before he and Cecilio Rodriguez formed the groundbreaking duo Cecilio & Kapono in the 1970s — Kapono was paying his dues in the school of hard knocks.
In his 20s, he signed on with a local rock band for what was supposed to be a six-week tour playing gigs in Asia. That turned into a two-year odyssey when the tour promoter went bankrupt, stranding the band without enough money to buy tickets home to Hawai`i.
“We ended up in Vietnam and Thailand for a year,” he tells, “playing for the troops. I’d be playing my guitar eight, 10, 12 hours a day. That’s all I had to do. I was a way better musician when I made it home than when I left. Cecilio and I never would have gotten together if not for that experience.
“I was so happy to get back to Hawai`i after Vietnam,” Kapono tells. “It changed my whole perspective on life. I had matured as a human being, and learned a lot in the school of hard knocks.”
As a duo, Cecilio & Kapono brought a new perspective to Hawaiian music at a time when a renaissance in the native culture was surging. They recorded 13 albums together starting in the 1970s, and gained countless fans with their enthusiastically received live performances. Their signature sound — a Hawaiian folk rock blend that incorporated strands of soul and reggae that has been called a “soundtrack to those years” — earned them a national contract with Columbia Records. “There was something very magical with Cecilio,”
Kapono says. “We were singing about the lifestyle everyone was living. Even today when I play one of those songs, I see people go right back to that important place in their lives.”
GIVING BACK
Kapono launched his solo career in 1981 and has since won multiple honors and awards, including a Grammy nomination. He has taken home 18 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (“Hawai`i’s Grammy”) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, and Rock Album of the Year. In 2016, along with John Cruz and Brother Noland, he won Best EP for his Rough Riders “We Ride” CD.
Nowadays, in addition to releasing new music — he has another new, as-yet-untitled CD of classics and “songs you grew up singing” slated to come out by the end of 2019 — and playing live to appreciative audiences at venues such as Lava Lava Beach Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort, Kapono’s main endeavors revolve around supporting younger musicians and providing life lessons through the Henry Kapono Foundation.
“It’s a blessing to give back,” he says. “My wife Lezlee and I have produced a lot of events, and last year First Hawaiian Bank supported us in launching a foundation so we could direct some of the event revenue to causes we care about. We started by offering scholarships to help artists who needed help. It’s very fulfilling to see it happening.”
He points to one young songwriter, Kevin Davis, whom he met at The Hawai`i Songwriting Festival, an event that the Henry Kapono Foundation supported on the Big Island in June, as an example of how he enjoys mentoring up-and-coming artists. “I shared my thoughts on how a story should develop,” he says, “how to lay back in important parts of the song so your audience rides with you. You have to own it, know it. You have to have a vision.”
Another event produced by Kapono Inc. called Artist-2-Artist features iconic performers such as Keola Beamer, Brother Noland, and others. The featured artists are available for younger musicians and festival attendees to speak with and get to know as people.
Through these efforts, as well as through his music, Henry Kapono is making a difference in the world, and that may be his most fulfilling accomplishment of all.
“Change is inevitable,” he says. “It happens everywhere. The most important thing is now. What was, was. What is, is. Try to make positive changes now. I have younger kids, and want to leave them a positive world. You gotta keep trying.”
Henry Kapono performs at Don’s Mai Tai Bar in the Royal Kona Resort every third Thursday of the month, and the third Friday of every month at Lava Lava Beach Club. Check the schedule at LavaLavaBeachClub.com, and find out more about Henry on his website
HenryKapono.com.