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Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwoʻole (May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997) was a musician who lived in Hawaiʻi until death at the age of thirty-eight. He is widely known for the following song:

Iz was nicknamed “The Gentle Giant” by his admirers and was described as always cheerful and positive. He was best known for his love of the land and of the people of Hawaiʻi. He began playing music with his older brother Skippy at the age of 11, being privy to the music of the great Hawaiian entertainers of the time such as the likes of Peter Moon, Palani Vaughn, and Don Ho, who frequented the establishment where Iz’s parents worked.

In his early teens, his family moved to Makaha, Hawaii. There, he met Louis “Moon” Kauakahi, Sam Gray, and Jerome Koko. Together with his brother Skippy they formed the Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau. From 1976 throughout the 1980s, the Hawaiian contemporary band gained in popularity as they toured Hawaiʻi and the continental United States and released 5 successful albums.

In 1990, Iz released his first solo album Kaʻanoʻi, which won him awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).

He became famous outside Hawaiʻi when his album Facing Future was released in 1993 with his medley of “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World”, which was subsequently featured in several films, television programs, and commercials. Considered his best album by many, it featured his most popular song, along with “Hawaiʻi 78″, “White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi”, “Maui Hawaiian Sup’pa Man”, and “Kaulana Kawaihae”.

In 1994, Iz was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).

As his career progressed, Iz was known for promoting Hawaiian rights and Hawaiian independence, both through his music (whose lyrics often stated the case for independence directly, as in the following song) and through his life. He ended each concert with the words, “My name is Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, I am Hawai’ian.”

In 1997, Iz 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 and died shortly after that of weight-related respiratory illness.

10,000 people waited for hours on July 10, 1997 to pass by the koa casket of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole beneath a 50-foot Hawaiian flag as he lie in state at the Capitol. Gov. John A. Burns proclaimed, “Israel was a state treasure. He was a giant in his field. He had achieved a special status.” The Hawaiʻi State Flag flew at half-staff that day.

On October 26, 2005, “Facing Future” became Hawaii’s first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States.

(Author’s note: Iz was a talent and personality that is missed by many. I like his works and admire his efforts, and this post is meant, with all due respect, to honor him. I do not know the Hawaiian language. Those words are as found. If there are any errors, please correct me. If you would like to contribute, please do so, or let me know about material that should be added. Thank you. And, mahalo nui loa Iz.)

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