Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Encyclopedia
Israel "IZ" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (kaˌmakaˌʋiwoˈʔole; May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997) was a Hawaiian musician
.
He became famous outside Hawaii when his album Facing Future
was released in 1993. His medley
of "Over the Rainbow" and his cover of Louis Armstrong
's classic "What a Wonderful World
" were subsequently featured in several film
s, television program
s, and commercials
.
Through his ukulele
playing and incorporation of other genres (such as jazz
and reggae
), Kamakawiwoʻole remains one of the major influences in Hawaiian music.
in Honolulu to Henry Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwoʻole, Jr., and Evangeline Leinani Kamakawiwoʻole. He was raised in the community of Kaimuki, where his parents had met and married. He began playing music with his older brother Skippy and cousin Allen Thornton at the age of 11, being exposed to the music of Hawaiian entertainers of the time such as Peter Moon
, Palani Vaughn, and Don Ho
, who frequented the establishment where Kamakawiwoʻole's parents worked. Israel continued his path as his brother Skippy entered the Army in 1971 and cousin Allen parted ways in 1976 for the mainland.
In his early teens, he studied at Upward Bound (UB) of the University of Hawaii at Hilo
and his family moved to Mākaha. There he met Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, Sam Gray, and Jerome Koko. Together with his brother Skippy they formed the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau. From 1976 throughout the 1980s, the Hawaiian contemporary band gained in popularity as they toured Hawaii and the continental United States and released fifteen successful albums.
In 1982, Kamakawiwoʻole's brother, Skippy Kamakawiwoʻole, died of a heart attack. In that same year, Kamakawiwoʻole married his childhood sweetheart Marlene. Soon after, they had a daughter whom they named Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".
In 1990, Kamakawiwoʻole released his first solo album Ka ʻAnoʻi, which won awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). Facing Future
was released in 1993 by The Mountain Apple Company. It featured his most popular song, the medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World", along with "Hawaiʻi 78", "White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi", "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man", and "Kaulana Kawaihae". Facing Future debuted at #25 on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalogue chart. On October 26, 2005, Facing Future became Hawaii's first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States, according to figures furnished by the Recording Industry Association of America
. On July 21, 2006, BBC Radio 1
announced that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World(True Dreams)" would be released as a single in America.
In 1994, Kamakawiwoʻole was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).
E Ala E
(1995) featured the political title song "ʻE Ala ʻE" and "Kaleohano
", and N Dis Life
(1996) featured "In This Life" and "Starting All Over Again".
In 1997, Kamakawiwoʻole was again honored by HARA at the Annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Favorite Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, and Island Contemporary Album of the Year. He watched the awards ceremony from a hospital room.
Alone in Iz World
(2001) debuted at #1 on Billboard's World Chart and #135 on Billboard's Top 200, #13 on the Top Independent Albums Chart, and #15 on the Top Internet Album Sales charts.
, both through his lyrics, which often stated the case for independence directly, and his life. His song Hawai'i '78 demonstrates the beliefs and hopes that he had for the people of Hawai’i: the life of this land is the life of the people, and that to care for the land is to care for the Hawaiian culture. The state motto of Hawai'i is a recurring line in the song and encompasses the meaning of Iz's message: Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono (Roughly translated: The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness).
and at one point carried 757 lb (343.4 kg; 54.1 st) on his 6 in 2 in (1.88 m) frame (BMI
= 97.05 kg/m²). He endured several hospitalizations because of problems caused by his weight. Beset with respiratory and other medical problems, he died in Queen's Medical Center at 12:18 a.m. on June 26, 1997. Kamakawiwoʻole is survived by his wife, Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole, and their daughter, Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".
The Hawaii state flag flew at half-mast on July 10, the day of Kamakawiwoʻole's funeral. His koa wood
coffin lay in state at the Capitol building in Honolulu. He was the third person in Hawaiian history to be awarded this honor, and the only one who was not a government official. Approximately ten thousand people attended the funeral. Thousands of fans gathered as his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean at Mākua Beach on July 12.
On September 20, 2003, hundreds paid tribute to Kamakawiwoʻole as a bronze bust of the revered singer was unveiled at the Waianae Neighborhood Community Center on Oʻahu. The singer's widow, Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole, and sculptor Jan-Michelle Sawyer were present for the dedication ceremony. The funeral and the scattering of Kamakawiwoʻole's ashes were featured in a music video
for his cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" released by Mountain Apple.
, Finding Forrester
, 50 First Dates
, Fred Clause,Glee, UK version of Life On Mars
series 2, and IMAX
: Hubble 3D
, among others.
"Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" reached #12 on Billboards Hot Digital Tracks
chart the week of January 31, 2004 (for the survey week ending January 18, 2004). It passed the 2 million paid downloads mark in the USA by September 27, 2009, and then sold 3 million in the USA as of October 2, 2011.
On July 4, 2007, Kamakawiwoʻole debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart with "Wonderful World," selling 17,000 units.
In April 2007, "Over the Rainbow" entered the UK charts at #68, and eventually climbed to #46, spending 10 weeks in the Top 100 over a 2 year period.
In October 2010, following its use on a TV advertisement – for Axe deodorant (which is itself a revival of the advertisement originally aired in 2004) – it hit #1 on the German singles chart, was the number one seller single of 2010 and was eventually certified 2× Platinum in 2011.
As of November 1, 2010, "Over the Rainbow" peaked at No. 6 on the OE3 Austria charts, which largely reflect airplay on Austria's government-operated Top 40 radio network. It also peaked at No.1 in France and Switzerland in late December 2010.
On December 6, 2010, "Iz" was named one of the 50 great voices on National Public Radio.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
He became famous outside Hawaii when his album Facing Future
Facing Future
Facing Future is an album by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, released in 1993.The bestselling album of all time by a Hawaiian artist, Facing Future combines traditional Hawaiian-language songs, hapa haole songs with traditional instrumentation, and two Jawaiian tracks...
was released in 1993. His medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
of "Over the Rainbow" and his cover of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
's classic "What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...
" were subsequently featured in several film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s, and commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
.
Through his ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
playing and incorporation of other genres (such as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
), Kamakawiwoʻole remains one of the major influences in Hawaiian music.
Early life
Kamakawiwoʻole was born at Kuakini HospitalKuakini Medical Center
-Description:Its address is 347 North Kuakini Street, located at near the corner of Liliha street.The center is run by the Kuakini Health System which also runs geriatric care facilities and a foundation....
in Honolulu to Henry Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwoʻole, Jr., and Evangeline Leinani Kamakawiwoʻole. He was raised in the community of Kaimuki, where his parents had met and married. He began playing music with his older brother Skippy and cousin Allen Thornton at the age of 11, being exposed to the music of Hawaiian entertainers of the time such as Peter Moon
Peter Moon (musician)
Peter Moon is a ʻukulele and guitar player.-Career:Peter Moon was born on the island of Oʻahu to Wook and Shay-Yung Moon. From the late 1950s through the 1960s, he gained musical inspiration, insight, and knowledge; playing as a Maile Serenader with Gabby "Pops" Pahinui in the 1960s. Later, in...
, Palani Vaughn, and Don Ho
Don Ho
Donald Tai Loy "Don" Ho was a Hawaiian and traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer.-Life and career:Ho, of Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, but he grew up in Kāneohe on the windward side of the island of Oahu...
, who frequented the establishment where Kamakawiwoʻole's parents worked. Israel continued his path as his brother Skippy entered the Army in 1971 and cousin Allen parted ways in 1976 for the mainland.
In his early teens, he studied at Upward Bound (UB) of the University of Hawaii at Hilo
University of Hawaii at Hilo
The University of Hawaii at Hilo, UHH, or UH Hilo is one of the ten branches of the University of Hawaii system anchored by the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in Honolulu, Hawaii...
and his family moved to Mākaha. There he met Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, Sam Gray, and Jerome Koko. Together with his brother Skippy they formed the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau. From 1976 throughout the 1980s, the Hawaiian contemporary band gained in popularity as they toured Hawaii and the continental United States and released fifteen successful albums.
In 1982, Kamakawiwoʻole's brother, Skippy Kamakawiwoʻole, died of a heart attack. In that same year, Kamakawiwoʻole married his childhood sweetheart Marlene. Soon after, they had a daughter whom they named Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".
Music career
Kamakawiwoʻole formed the musical group Makaha Sons of Niʻihau with brother Skippy plus Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, Sam Gray and Jerome Koko. They recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released four more albums, including Kahea O Keale, Keala, Makaha Sons Of Niʻihau and Mahalo Ke Akua, before Skippy died of a heart attack in 1982. The group became Hawaii's most popular traditional group with breakout albums 1984's Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha and its follow-up, 1986's Hoʻola. Kamakawiwoʻole's last recorded album with the group was 1991's Hoʻoluana. It remains the group's top-selling CD.In 1990, Kamakawiwoʻole released his first solo album Ka ʻAnoʻi, which won awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). Facing Future
Facing Future
Facing Future is an album by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, released in 1993.The bestselling album of all time by a Hawaiian artist, Facing Future combines traditional Hawaiian-language songs, hapa haole songs with traditional instrumentation, and two Jawaiian tracks...
was released in 1993 by The Mountain Apple Company. It featured his most popular song, the medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World", along with "Hawaiʻi 78", "White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi", "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man", and "Kaulana Kawaihae". Facing Future debuted at #25 on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalogue chart. On October 26, 2005, Facing Future became Hawaii's first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States, according to figures furnished by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. On July 21, 2006, BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
announced that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World(True Dreams)" would be released as a single in America.
In 1994, Kamakawiwoʻole was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).
E Ala E
E Ala E
E Ala Ē is an album by the Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, released in 1995.-Track listing:# E Ala Ē# ʻUlili E# Kaleohano# Wind Beneath My Wings / He Hawaiʻi Au# Tengoku Kara Kaminari # Kamalani# Aloha Ka Manini...
(1995) featured the political title song "ʻE Ala ʻE" and "Kaleohano
Kaleohano
Kaleohano, a name meaning the voice authority and respect, is the title of a song written by Louis Moon Kauakahi. The song has been performed by Israel Kamakawiwoole and by the Mākaha Sons of Niihau....
", and N Dis Life
N Dis Life
In Dis Life is the final album of original music by Native Hawaiian singer Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole before his death.- Track listing :#"Hi'ilawe" – 4:44#"In This Life" – 4:09#"Wai'alae" – 2:43...
(1996) featured "In This Life" and "Starting All Over Again".
In 1997, Kamakawiwoʻole was again honored by HARA at the Annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Favorite Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, and Island Contemporary Album of the Year. He watched the awards ceremony from a hospital room.
Alone in Iz World
Alone in Iz World
Alone in Iz World is an album by the Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo'ole released in 2001, 4 years after his death in 1997. The album has charted on several of Billboard’s album charts...
(2001) debuted at #1 on Billboard's World Chart and #135 on Billboard's Top 200, #13 on the Top Independent Albums Chart, and #15 on the Top Internet Album Sales charts.
Support of Hawaiian Rights
Kamakawiwoʻole was known for promoting Hawaiian rights and Hawaiian independenceHawaiian sovereignty movement
The Hawaiian sovereignty movement is a political movement seeking some form of sovereignty for Hawai'i. Generally, the movement's focus is on self-determination and self-governance, either for Hawaiʻi as an independent nation, or for people of whole or part native Hawaiian ancestry, or for...
, both through his lyrics, which often stated the case for independence directly, and his life. His song Hawai'i '78 demonstrates the beliefs and hopes that he had for the people of Hawai’i: the life of this land is the life of the people, and that to care for the land is to care for the Hawaiian culture. The state motto of Hawai'i is a recurring line in the song and encompasses the meaning of Iz's message: Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono (Roughly translated: The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness).
Death
Throughout his life, Kamakawiwoʻole was obeseObesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and at one point carried 757 lb (343.4 kg; 54.1 st) on his 6 in 2 in (1.88 m) frame (BMI
Body mass index
The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
= 97.05 kg/m²). He endured several hospitalizations because of problems caused by his weight. Beset with respiratory and other medical problems, he died in Queen's Medical Center at 12:18 a.m. on June 26, 1997. Kamakawiwoʻole is survived by his wife, Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole, and their daughter, Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".
The Hawaii state flag flew at half-mast on July 10, the day of Kamakawiwoʻole's funeral. His koa wood
Koa
Acacia koa is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is the second most common tree. The highest populations are on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu...
coffin lay in state at the Capitol building in Honolulu. He was the third person in Hawaiian history to be awarded this honor, and the only one who was not a government official. Approximately ten thousand people attended the funeral. Thousands of fans gathered as his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean at Mākua Beach on July 12.
On September 20, 2003, hundreds paid tribute to Kamakawiwoʻole as a bronze bust of the revered singer was unveiled at the Waianae Neighborhood Community Center on Oʻahu. The singer's widow, Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole, and sculptor Jan-Michelle Sawyer were present for the dedication ceremony. The funeral and the scattering of Kamakawiwoʻole's ashes were featured in a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for his cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" released by Mountain Apple.
Legacy
Kamakawiwo'ole's recording of "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" was featured as a sound track in the movies Meet Joe BlackMeet Joe Black
Meet Joe Black is a 1998 American fantasy romance film produced by Universal Studios, directed by Martin Brest and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Claire Forlani, loosely based on the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday...
, Finding Forrester
Finding Forrester
EnglishFinding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. A black American teenager, Jamal Wallace , is invited into a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester , through whom he refines his...
, 50 First Dates
50 First Dates
50 First Dates is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by George Wing. The film stars Adam Sandler as a woman-chasing veterinarian and Drew Barrymore as an amnesiac, along with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd.Most of the film...
, Fred Clause,Glee, UK version of Life On Mars
Life on Mars
Scientists have long speculated about the possibility of life on Mars owing to the planet's proximity and similarity to Earth. Fictional Martians have been a recurring feature of popular entertainment of the 20th and 21st centuries, but it remains an open question whether life currently exists on...
series 2, and IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
: Hubble 3D
Hubble 3D
Hubble 3D, also known as IMAX: Hubble 3D, is a 2010 documentary film about the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission.-Content:"Through the power of IMAX 3D, Hubble 3D will enable movie-goers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and...
, among others.
"Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" reached #12 on Billboards Hot Digital Tracks
Hot Digital Tracks
The Hot Digital Tracks chart is a song popularity chart that ranks the best selling digital tracks in the United States according to Billboard magazine...
chart the week of January 31, 2004 (for the survey week ending January 18, 2004). It passed the 2 million paid downloads mark in the USA by September 27, 2009, and then sold 3 million in the USA as of October 2, 2011.
On July 4, 2007, Kamakawiwoʻole debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart with "Wonderful World," selling 17,000 units.
In April 2007, "Over the Rainbow" entered the UK charts at #68, and eventually climbed to #46, spending 10 weeks in the Top 100 over a 2 year period.
In October 2010, following its use on a TV advertisement – for Axe deodorant (which is itself a revival of the advertisement originally aired in 2004) – it hit #1 on the German singles chart, was the number one seller single of 2010 and was eventually certified 2× Platinum in 2011.
As of November 1, 2010, "Over the Rainbow" peaked at No. 6 on the OE3 Austria charts, which largely reflect airplay on Austria's government-operated Top 40 radio network. It also peaked at No.1 in France and Switzerland in late December 2010.
On December 6, 2010, "Iz" was named one of the 50 great voices on National Public Radio.
Albums
- Ka ʻAnoʻi (1990)
- Facing FutureFacing FutureFacing Future is an album by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, released in 1993.The bestselling album of all time by a Hawaiian artist, Facing Future combines traditional Hawaiian-language songs, hapa haole songs with traditional instrumentation, and two Jawaiian tracks...
(1993) - E Ala EE Ala EE Ala Ē is an album by the Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, released in 1995.-Track listing:# E Ala Ē# ʻUlili E# Kaleohano# Wind Beneath My Wings / He Hawaiʻi Au# Tengoku Kara Kaminari # Kamalani# Aloha Ka Manini...
(1995) - N Dis LifeN Dis LifeIn Dis Life is the final album of original music by Native Hawaiian singer Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole before his death.- Track listing :#"Hi'ilawe" – 4:44#"In This Life" – 4:09#"Wai'alae" – 2:43...
(1996) - Iz in Concert: The Man and His MusicIz in Concert: The Man and His MusicIz in Concert: The Man and His Music is an album by the Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwoʻole released in 1998, one year after his death in 1997.- Track listing :# "Ahi Wela"# "E Ku'u Morning Dew"# "Kamalani"# "Kaleohano"# "Margarita"...
(1998) - Alone in Iz WorldAlone in Iz WorldAlone in Iz World is an album by the Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo'ole released in 2001, 4 years after his death in 1997. The album has charted on several of Billboard’s album charts...
(2001) - Wonderful WorldWonderful World (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole album)Wonderful World is an album by the Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo'ole released 2007, a decade after his death in 1997.- Track listing :# "What a Wonderful World"# "'Ama 'Ama"# "Henehene Kou 'Aka"# "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"# "Morning Dew"...
(2007) - Over the RainbowOver the Rainbow (Israel Kamakawiwoʻole album)Over the Rainbow is a compilation album of what is considered to be the best works of Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole.-Track listing:All songs on the album are from the four studio albums Kamakawiwoʻole made when he was alive....
(2011)
External links
- Mountain Apple Record Company's Official Israel Kamakawiwoʻole Site
- video: "Somewhere over the Rainbow"
- "Pau Hana: Song of a Rainbow Warrior," Hana Hou, June/July 2010