Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, or Iz, was one of 1,000 original Hawaiians remaining. Born on the island of Niihau, he was a singer with a gentle voice who played a ukulele with his songs, to crowds in Hawaii during his brief life. The very talented, gentle giant of a man died in 1997 at the age of 38, after playing for the first time in Las Vegas.
He and his music, recorded on five albums, was little known outside of his native island, until his renditions of “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” were featured in movies like 50 First Dates, Finding Forrester and Meet Joe Black.
“(Iz’s) songs instantly touches the hearts of people, no matter where they are from,” said Leah Bernstein, president of Mountain Apple Company, the independent Hawaiian label that markets Iz’s five solo albums. “We were actively pursuing iTunes because we felt it was an important vehicle for Hawaiian music.” The music of Iz gains new fans with each new television show or movie soundtrack. Bernstein said there was a spike in sales when the 50 First Dates DVD was released recently.
These songs are currently in the top five on the world-music charts in the iTunes Music Store. “iTunes gives artists and labels the opportunity to distribute more obscure songs to a wide audience and without the costly overhead of traditional CD distribution.” iTunes only lists the top-100-selling tracks, which are updated several times daily. (Indies, are you listening?)
You can also hear the music of Iz on AlohaJoe.com, which is a free, high quality, streaming Hawaiian Radio station. I listen to it all the time. The music there is eclectic and upbeat, with excellent selection of jazz and pop songs, all with a sweet Hawaiian flavor. Beware, because listening can become addictive.
Source: Wired News HERE
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