Legends: Keola Beamer & Henry Kapono

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Keola Beamer
“The Quintessential Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Master" --The New York Times

Henry Kapono
“Kapono is one of the great island songwriters of his generation.” --Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Keola Beamer and Henry Kapono are two legendary figures in Hawaiian music, each rising to prominence in the 1970s as pioneers of a new musical era. At the forefront of Hawaiian music’s reinvention, they have remained influential for more than four decades.

Keola Beamer played a pivotal role in reviving kī hō‘alu (Hawaiian slack key guitar) during the 1970s, sparking a statewide resurgence of interest in the tradition. His 1978 album, Honolulu City Lights, remains the best-selling recording in Hawaiian music history. Today, he is recognized as one of Hawai‘i’s most esteemed singer-songwriters, composers, and slack key masters. His contributions have earned him induction into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame.

His wife, Moanalani Beamer, is a highly respected kumu hula (hula master), having undergone rigorous traditional training and rites of graduation. She shares her artistry through hula, chant, and traditional Hawaiian instruments.

Henry Kapono rose to fame as half of the beloved duo Cecilio & Kapono (C&K), whose laid-back contemporary rock became the soundtrack of a generation in 1970s Hawai‘i. As a solo artist, he has continued to thrive, earning a Grammy nomination and amassing 21 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards—the Hawaiian equivalent of the Grammys.

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