Henry Kapono made it big during the Hawaiian Renaissance. He's been pumping ever since

Hawaii Public Radio | By Noe Tanigawa

Published February 11, 2022 at 3:06 PM HST

Recently we've been taking a look back at the 1970s in Hawaiʻi, the beginning of the Hawaiian Renaissance — 1978 is remembered as the year of a pivotal State Constitutional Convention. It was also the year Rap Reiplinger released his comedy album classic "Poi Dog." At the same time, the musical duo C and K opened doors for a new generation of musicians.

"I grew up in Kapahulu. I'm full-blooded Hawaiian."

Henry Kapono Kaʻaihue started out more interested in sports. He attended Punahou on a baseball scholarship, then gravitated toward football. After high school, he found himself playing music around town, when an opportunity arose.

"Yeah, six weeks, we'll be in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, yeah let's do it. So two years later I got home and I was a musician," he told HPR.

Meeting Cecilio Rodriguez was no accident. One evening in 1973, friends set up a dinner at a house on the North Shore.

Haumea Ho