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"Iz"
Don Ho and Duke Kahanamoku are two well-known figures in Hawaii, but no one symbolizes the spirit of the islands as much as Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, better known simply as “Iz” or “Bruddah Iz.” Much more than just a Hawaiian musician, Iz gave the music of the islands an authentic face. He was a large native Hawaiian who strummed a tiny ukelele in his immense arms and sang with the tenderness of an angel.
His story is one about devotion, love, and faith. Iz shared with the world his love for the islands through his sweet Hawaiian songs. He knew his life would be cut short due to a respiratory illness caused by his obesity. He died in June of 1997. Over 10,000 perople attended his funeral, during with his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean. He became only the third person in the Hawaiian history to be honored with a koa wood coffin that for some time lay in the Capitol building in Honolulu. Iz’s music is like a gentle breeze, a pleasant reminder of the beauty and spirit of Hawaii.
His simplified but utterly tender medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” is one of the most beloved Hawaiian songs and frequently heard on the radio, on television shows like “American Idol,” and movies like “Life as a House.” Other beloved songs that are worth a listen are “White Sandy Beach” (often played at weddings), “A Hawaiian Like Me,” and “In This Life.”