Legends: Keola Beamer & Henry Kapono
Saturday, January 24, 2026 AT 8PM
Hawaiian Series is Sponsored by
The Hiland Foundation &
The Richard and Elizabeth Steele Fund
This performance will include a 15-minute intermission.
Keola Beamer: Guitar and Vocals
Henry Kapono: Guitar and Vocals
Moanalani Beamer: Kumu Hula
Artists will sign CDs in the lobby after the concert.
Please, no video or audio recording of any kind.
Keolamaikalani Breckenridge Beamer was raised on Hawai‘i Island, born into one of Hawai‘i’s most illustrious and cherished musical families. From an early age, he established himself as the youngest standard-bearer of his family’s legacy. A child of the rock & roll era, he stood at the forefront of Hawaiian contemporary music, while also playing a pivotal role in the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance. He recorded numerous songs composed by his ancestors, including his legendary great-grandmother Helen Desha Beamer and his mother Nona Beamer.
Keola studied classical guitar and later published a slack key method book based on a 16th-century lute tablature system. He was among Hawai‘i’s first recording artists to blend traditional Hawaiian chants and instruments—such as the tiny gourd whistle and nose flute—into modern musical forms, and his soulful, resonant voice continues to win over audiences. Over his career, he has recorded and produced more than a dozen albums, won numerous Nā Hōkū Awards (Hawai‘i’s equivalent of the Grammy), appeared on Sesame Street and NBC’s Today Show, been inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame, and was awarded the prestigious NACF Artist Fellowship by the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation in recognition of his significant contributions to Native Hawaiian cultural life. He remains celebrated and revered by fellow musicians.
Henry Kapono Ka‘aihue is a performer who truly does it all—vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, composer, and electrifying entertainer, beloved by audiences. A Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, he has earned 21 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards—Hawai‘i’s equivalent of the Grammy—including Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year. In 2021, Henry was honored by his peers with the Nā Hōkū Award for Contemporary Album and, by public vote, as Favorite Entertainer—accolades he received again in 2022.
He is also the author of the award-winning children’s book A Beautiful Hawaiian Day, has appeared in films, and made numerous television appearances. Henry rose to prominence in the 1970s as one half of the duo Cecilio & Kapono, the first Hawai‘i group to secure a national recording contract with Columbia Records. Together, they recorded 13 albums, bringing a fresh perspective to contemporary and folk rock.
Always musically adventurous, Henry launched his solo career in 1981. His lyrics and music resonate with simple honesty, and his evocative, plaintive balladeer’s voice lingers long after he leaves the stage. In 2017, the legacy of his music was celebrated at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, and more recently, he launched the Henry Kapono Foundation to support Hawai‘i’s music and the arts, and to mentor the next generation of Hawaiian musicians.
Moanalani Beamer began her hula training at the age of four with Kumu Hula (Hula Master) Johnny Hokoana and continued her studies extensively with several distinguished hula masters. She achieved the rank of Kumu Hula in 2011, completing the rigorous process of study and graduation known as the ‘uniki ceremony. Her performing career includes starring in multiple hula revues on Maui. In performances with Keola, Moanalani dances, chants, sings background vocals, and plays traditional Hawaiian percussion instruments. She is also a dedicated teacher, sharing her knowledge of hula with students on Maui and through workshops across the U.S., Asia, and Europe.