 This week on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis our guest is none other than Cecilio Rodriguez, of Cecilio and Kapono! Cecilio will be performing with his band, Cecilio and Kompany.
Cecilio was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California where he received the majority of his musical upbringing. After forming several bands and performing during high school and college, Cecilio moved to Los Angeles to advance his musical career. There he formed a group called "Unicorn" and began playing club dates and private parties. He later came to the attention of a musician named Sonny Charles, who’d been a member of the popular Las Vegas group, "The Checkmates" and who had a hit record entitled "Black Pearl." Sonny hired Cecilio to be the guitarist and musical director for his tour. After extensively touring within the continental United States, Cecilio had a meeting with Anthony Gourdine of Little Anthony and the Imperials, and soon thereafter was traveling with them as their guitarist and musical director. However, it soon became apparent to Anthony that Cecilio was much more than a guitarist on stage, and so began a long line of performances as the opening act for Little Anthony and the Imperials.
In 1973, while on a break from touring with Little Anthony and the Imperials, Cecilio flew to Hawaii at the urging of friends to meet with a fellow musician whom he was told had a very similar style to his own and with whom, it was thought, he could form a group. They met, sang a few songs, and to their surprise and the surprise of their friends, who had gathered together for their debut, their performance was impeccable. All the components were there; breathing, intonation, blend, and their own individual guitar styles, each complimenting the other in a magical way. At that moment, the duo Cecilio & Kapono was born, and they went on to become one of the top singing duos to come out of Hawaii. It was only a matter of time before they came to the attention of Columbia Records and they were soon signed to a three-album deal with Columbia. Their third album alone garnered five Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, and another album won four.
Today, they are recognized as musical legends in the Hawaiian Islands and C&K (as their fans have come to know them) continue to sell out performances wherever they go.
With such momentum behind him, Cecilio's star beckoned to him and he aspired to strike out on his own as a solo artist. Although C&K continue to perform concerts together as a duo, Cecilio has made a mark of his own as a charming, personable and talented performer. He has three solo CD releases to his credit and is gathering material and writing more compositions for his next solo CD of all original material, to be released soon. He also performs every Thursday and Friday at the Tropics Bar and Grille in Hilton Hawaiian Village, and is receiving rave reviews for his shows there. In addition, he took part in a concert to benefit Japan called Kokua for Japan and recently headlined a concert for the benefit of the Street Kids of Haiti.
Join host Tony Solis for Pakele Live! on Thursday, August 11 from 6:30-8:30pm HST at the Willows Restaurant (901 Hausten St., Honolulu). Those who are unable to attend can watch the live stream at www.pakelelive.com. (The show will also be edited for television and shown at a later date on OC16 TV and www.oc16.tv)
Admission is free, no reservations are required and all ages are welcome! Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. (Doors open at 5:30.) Guests may choose from the full nightly buffet ($34.95) or an a la carte menu created especially for Pakele Live! (and available only during the show), with prices ranging from $5 to $16. Drink specials are also available. Validated valet parking is only $3.
Note: If you watch online, don’t forget to email the show at pakele @ lava.net and let us know you’re watching! Mention your name and where you’re located - city, state – or country, if outside the U.S.!
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Cecilio (of C&K) - Pakele Live, 8/11/11
Posted - 08/10/2011 : 10:12:26 PM
