By Dean Sensui, Star-Bulletin
Above: Cecilio, left, and Kapono relive old times at the site of
Rainbow Villa on Kalakaua Avenue, their first gig. It's now a
parking lot next to Wave Waikiki.

C&K

It's been a lifetime party
for Cecilio and Kapono

By John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin

Women's biggest complaint about men is their failure to communicate. It's one of the reasons relationships fizzle.

Consider Cecilio Rodriguez and Henry Kapono Kaaihue, aka Cecilio & Kapono -- Cee and Henry for short. Henry's fiancee, Lezlee Hannaford, is the duo's manager and Cee says she brought them together in a way that seemed impossible in their early days.

"She's very instrumental in our ability to talk and get things out in the open," said Cee.

Before, he said, "I was the single guy and he was the one with the lady. That automatically put us in different crowds. Come the end of the show I'd go stage right and he'd go stage left, two different people doing our thing."

Cee is still a single guy, but now, at Hannaford's suggestion, Cee and Henry are doing things together off stage, achieving in their friendship what they've always had as performers.

"What C&K have always been able to do on stage is find that place of communication and bonding. ... We have been able to find (that place) off stage now, and that's a real nice thing. We still have our own things, but it's a very positive experience."

By Dean Sensui, Star-Bulletin
Cecilio, left, and Kapono pose for a picture with Cora Casey,
a visitor from New York. Taking the photograph is Lezlee
Hannaford, the group's manager and Kapono's fiancee.

Credit Hannaford, also, with organizing the C&K "Journey Through the Years 1998 Tour," a commemoration of their 25-year career with concerts in North America, Guam, the Marshall Islands and Japan, as well as a two-nighter this weekend at the Honolulu Zoo (part of the proceeds will go toward a breeding program for the zoo's elephants, Vaigai and Mari).

That's great news for fans. C&K's music has proven itself ageless in the past quarter-century. Their career is local legend.

"I've been listening to them since I was 2 or 3 years old," musician BB Shawn says. "They always had a magical sound that really paved the way for a lot of other people. By listening to them I got open to a lot of other kinds of music."

In the '70s, Malani Bilyeu's group, Kalapana, had the same management as C&K -- "our big brother group."

"The whole thing of doing your own music was pretty new, and there was a lot of room for innovation," Bilyeu said. "A lot of C&K rubbed off on me. They were a great inspiration. For the style and harmonies they have, there'll never be another C&K."

The duo's influence on contemporary Hawaiian music is unquestioned.

Singer Fiji grew up on their music and is unqualified in his assessment: "They're definitely one of the greatest groups to ever come out of Hawaii."

Cee and Henry remain distinct entities who often agree to disagree when it comes to their work together. Both enjoy active solo careers as performers, songwriters and studio musicians.

Cee also enjoys golf, oil painting and an occasional gourmet dinner. Henry's passion is Hawaiian issues. His song about the Hawaiian Homelands Program scandal, "Broken Promise," earned him two Hoku Awards in 1992. His 1993 album, "Kapono," remains an underappreciated opus on sovereignty and Hawaiian identity.

"We both are different people," Henry says.

"Despite all the ups and downs that Cee and I have gone through in our career, our music keeps us focused and in the industry."

So it is time for C&K to record a new album? Cee is sure that it is. Henry is less certain.

"We've been talking about it, but Cee and I had a drop-out of four to five years before last year's concert, so I think we have some time before we do another album. Next year, possibly. The sound has to be C&K, but it has to have something new to it. I think we'll know when the time is right."

25 years together 1973-1975 Introduced by mutual friends, Cecilio Rodriguez and Henry Kapono Kaaihue shared an instant musical chemistry. Outgrew Rainbow Villa. Outgrew Toppe Ada Shoppe. Outgrew every lounge-type venue in Hawaii. Signed a three-album national deal with Columbia. Drew more than 11,000 people at the Waikiki Shell. 1976 Headlined Aloha Stadium in the biggest local concert of the decade on Dec. 26. 1977 Columbia deal not renewed. 1978 Broke up after release of their first post-Columbia album. 1982 Reunion concert at Waikiki Shell, followed by successful live album. 1989 First studio album in 10 years, "Goodtimes Together," wins four major Hoku Awards, including Album of the Year. 1998 Anthology, "Journey Through the Years" is selling well.

Concert at the zoo

Show time: 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Place: Honolulu Zoo
Tickets: $19.73 pre-sale (available at Connection outlets) or $24.73 at the gate
Call: 599-4043