Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Also known as Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole, Bruddah Iz, IZ
Hawaiian singer (1959–1998)
AI overview
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole was a Hawaiian singer who became one of the most beloved musicians from the islands, known for his soulful voice and ukulele performances. His music helped bring Hawaiian culture and language to international audiences before his death in 1997, making him an important figure in Hawaiian music history.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Person · Open Library
- Works
- 1
Top works
- Somewhere over the rainbow
via Open Library + Wikidata
Music · MusicBrainz
- Type
- Person
- Gender
- Male
- Country
- Hawaii
- Active from
- 1959
- Active to
- 1997
via MusicBrainz · CC0
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 10,959
- Total plays
- 94,016
Tags
folkukuleleHawaiian
~14 min read
Article
Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Braddah IZ or simply IZ, was a Native Hawaiian musician and singer. He is regarded as one of the greatest musicians from Hawaii and the most successful musician from the state. Along with his ukulele playing and incorporation of other genres, such as jazz and reggae, Kamakawiwoʻole remains influential on Hawaiian music. In 2010, he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR, who called him "The Voice of Hawaii".
Kamakawiwoʻole achieved commercial success and mainstream popularity with his 1993 studio album, Facing Future. His medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" from his album Ka ʻAnoʻi (1990), spent 375 weeks on top of the World Digital Songs chart, making it the longest-leading number-one hit on any of the Billboard song charts.
Gallery (3)
Connections
Categories
1959 births1997 deaths20th-century American male singers20th-century American singers20th-century American songwritersAmerican ChristiansAmerican male songwritersBurials at seaChristians from HawaiiConverts to ChristianityDeaths from respiratory failure in the United StatesMountain Apple Company artists