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Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Kaihoku (talk | contribs) at 22:33, 1 November 2012 (→‎Legacy: unless his religion is directly relevant to his legacy or his music, it doesn't belong here.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole
Background information
Born(1959-05-20)May 20, 1959
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
OriginHawaii, U.S.
DiedJune 26, 1997(1997-06-26) (aged 38)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
GenresHawaiian
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Ukulele, vocals
LabelsBig Boy Records
Mountain Apple Company

Israel "IZ" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kaˌmaka,vivo,olay]) translation: "The Fearless Eyed"; May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Bruddah Iz ("Brother Iz"), was a Hawaiian musician.

His voice became famous outside Hawaii when his album Facing Future was released in 1993. His medley of "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World" was subsequently featured in several films, television programs, and television advertisement commercials.

Through his skillful ukulele playing and incorporation of other genres (such as jazz and reggae), Kamakawiwoʻole's music remains a very strong influence in Hawaiian music.[1]

Early life

Kamakawiwoʻole was born at Kuakini Hospital in Honolulu to Henry Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwoʻole, Jr., and Evangeline Leinani Kamakawiwoʻole. The notable Hawaiian musician Moe Keale was his uncle. 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. Hawaiian musician Del Beazley spoke of the first time he heard Israel play. IZ and his brother played at a grad party for a friend and Del said that when Israel started to sing, the whole place became silent. [2] Israel continued his path as his brother Skippy entered the Army in 1971 and cousin Allen parted ways in 1976 for the mainland.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World
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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.[3] Together with his brother Skippy they formed the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau. A part of the Hawaiian Renaissance, this talented Hawaiian band's blend of contemporary and traditional styles gained in popularity as they toured Hawaii and the continental United States, releasing fifteen successful albums. Israel's aim was to make music that stayed true to the typical sound of traditional Hawaiian music. During that time period the songs that people associated with Hawaii weren't authentic or traditional sounding songs.

Music career

The Makaha Sons of Niʻihau recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released four more albums, including Kahea O Keale, Keala, Makaha Sons Of Niʻihau and Mahalo Ke Akua. In 1982, Kamakawiwoʻole's brother, Skippy, died at age 28 of a heart attack related to obesity. In that same year, Kamakawiwoʻole married his childhood sweetheart Marlene. Soon after, they had a daughter whom they named Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".

The group became Hawaii's most popular modern 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 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". The decision to record a cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow was said to be a last minute decision by his producer Jon de Mello and him. [4] 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.[5] 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.

Kamakawiwo'ole has become the best selling Hawaiian musician of all time.

Support of Hawaiian Rights

Kamakawiwoʻole was known for promoting Hawaiian rights and Hawaiian independence, both through his lyrics, which often stated the case for independence directly, and his life.[6] 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 (malama 'āina) is to care for the Hawaiian culture.[7] 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 (proclaimed by King Kamehameha III when Hawai'i regained sovereignty in 1843. Roughly translated: The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness).[8]

Death

Throughout his life, Kamakawiwoʻole suffered from severe obesity resulting from compulsive overeating, and at one point weighed 757 pounds (343 kg; 54.1 st) standing 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) tall (BMI = 97.05 kg/m², with a BMI > 50 being classified as "super obesity").[9] He endured several hospitalizations because of health problems caused by his obesity.[9] Beset with respiratory, heart and other medical problems, he died at the age of 38 in Queen's Medical Center at 12:18 a.m. on June 26, 1997.[9] Kamakawiwoʻole is survived by his widow, Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole, and their daughter, Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".[10]

The Hawaii state flag flew at half-staff on July 10, 1997, the day of Kamakawiwoʻole's funeral. His koa wood coffin lay in state at the state 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, 1997.[10] The funeral and the scattering of Kamakawiwoʻole's ashes were featured in the official music video of "Over the Rainbow" released posthumously by Mountain Apple Company; as of October 2012, the video as featured on YouTube has garnered over 73 million views.[11]

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.[12]

Legacy

Kamakawiwoʻole's recording of "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" was featured as a sound track in the movies Meet Joe Black, Finding Forrester, 50 First Dates, Fred Clause and IMAX: Hubble 3D.[13] It was also featured on TV series like ER, Scrubs,Cold Case, Glee and the UK original version of Life On Mars among others.[14]

After every baseball game played at Santa Barbara High School Eddie Mathews Field the song "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" is played.

"Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" reached #12 on Billboard's 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.[15]

On July 4, 2007, Kamakawiwoʻole debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart with "Wonderful World," selling 17,000 units.[16]

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 in a trailer for the TV channel VOX [17] and on a TV advertisement – for Axe deodorant (which is itself a revival of the advertisement originally aired in 2004) [18] – it hit #1 on the German singles chart, was the number one seller single of 2010[19] and was eventually certified 2× Platinum in 2011.[20]

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.[21] It also peaked at No.1 in France and Switzerland in late December 2010.

On December 6, 2010, Kamakawiwoʻole was named one of the 50 great voices on National Public Radio.[22]

On March 24, 2011, Kamakawiwoʻole was honored with the German national music award Echo. The music managers Wolfgang Boss and John de Mello accepted the trophy in his stead.[23]

In February of 2012 the Honolulu-Star-Advertiser released an article titled 'Bruddah Iz's 'Rainbow' shines brightly worldwide.' The article demonstrates the success of Kamakawiwo'ole's cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World". The author of the article, Bob Sigall quotes Apple Co. President Leah Bernstein, "It's Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's 'Over the Rainbow' from his 'Facing Future' CD... That song touches people in a very emotional way, whether it's a happy emotion or sad". His song has had great success despite it being 19 years old. In 2011 it won Germany's Echo Award for song of the year and was on several countries top lists in 2010 and 2011. [24]

Discography

Albums

Notes

  1. ^ Gordon, Mike. "The Legacy: A Voice Of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiians". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved August 19, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Montagne, Renee (12/6/10). "Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: The Voice of Hawaii". Retrieved 10 October 2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Article by Jay Hartwell of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa". .hawaii.edu. May 26, 1991. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  4. ^ Hollywood Reporter. 6/6/06 http://0-ic.galegroup.com.ignacio.usfca.edu/ic/bic1/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Magazines&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&source=&sortBy=&displayGroups=&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA147302617. Retrieved 10 October 2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "Brudda Iz's Facing Future goes platinum, a first for Hawaii". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. October 6, 2005.
  6. ^ Carroll, Rick. Iz: Voice of the People. Honolulu, Hawai'i: Bess, 2006. Print.
  7. ^ Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. "Hawai'i '78." Facing Future. Mountain Apple Company, 1993. MP3.
  8. ^ http://www.netstate.com/states/mottoes/hi_motto.htm
  9. ^ a b c Kekoa Enomoto, Catherine (June 26, 1997). "'IZ' Will Always Be". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ a b Adamski, Mary (July 10, 1997). "Isles Bid Aloha, not Goodbye, to 'Brudda Iz'". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  11. ^ "OFFICIAL Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole". Mountain Apple Company. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  12. ^ "Sculpture's Debut Honors 'Braddah IZ'". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 21, 2003.
  13. ^ "IMAX: Hubble 3D – Toronto Screen Shots". 18 March 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  14. ^ Kim Grant (2005). Lonely Planet Hawaii (7th ed.). Lonely Planet Publications. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-74059-871-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Week Ending Oct. 2, 2011. Songs: Gone But Not Forgotten
  16. ^ Artist Chart History – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, Billboard
  17. ^ Herr der Goldtruhen NZZ Folio vom 7. Oktober 2010.
  18. ^ "Lynx – Getting Dressed Commercial Song Israel Kamakawiwo'ole – Somewhere Over the Rainbow". YouTube. November 24, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  19. ^ "Musik-Jahrescharts: 'Sanfter Riese' und der Graf setzen sich durch – media control". media-control.de. January 6 January 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole; 'Over the Rainbow')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  21. ^ "oe3.ORF.at / woche 42/2010". Charts.orf.at. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  22. ^ Kamakawiwo, Israel (December 6, 2010). "Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: The Voice Of Hawaii". NPR. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  23. ^ Starauflauf bei der Echo-Verleihung in Berlin Badische Zeitung, March 25th, 2011
  24. ^ Sigall, Bob (5/25/12). "Bruddah Iz's 'Rainbow' shines brightly worldwide". Honolulu Star Advertiser. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)

References

  • Carroll, Rick (2006). IZ: Voice of the people. Honolulu, Hawaiʻi: Bess Press. ISBN 978-1-57306-257-2. OCLC 71325451.
  • Kois, Dan (2010). Facing Future. New York: Continuum (part of the 33⅓ series). ISBN [[Special:BookSources/978-0-8264-2905-X |978-0-8264-2905-X [[Category:Articles with invalid ISBNs]]]]. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)

External links

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