Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

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Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Alone in Iz World
  CH 45 01/23/2011 (7 weeks)
  US 135 
gold
gold
10/13/2001 (5 weeks)
Wonderful World
  US 44 07/14/2007 (6 weeks)
Facing Future
  DE 8th 
platinum
platinum
08/22/2008 (44 weeks)
  AT 19th 10/08/2010 (22 weeks)
  CH 14th 
gold
gold
10/10/2010 (20 weeks)
Over the rainbow
  UK 28 01/22/2011 (2 weeks)
IZ - Somewhere over the Rainbow - The Best of
  DE 58 03/11/2011 (5 weeks)
  AT 21st 03/11/2011 (8 weeks)
  CH 12 03/13/2011 (12 weeks)
Singles
Over the rainbow
  DE 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 
Double platinum
× 2
Double platinum
09/17/2010 (61 weeks)
  AT 4th 
platinum
platinum
11/19/2010 (54 weeks)
  CH 3 
Double platinum
× 2
Double platinum
09/19/2010 (68 weeks)
  UK 44 
silver
silver
04/21/2007 (7 weeks)

Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole ([ kamakaʋiwoˈʔole ]; born May 20, 1959 in Kaimukī on the island of Oʻahu , Hawaii ; † June 26, 1997 in Honolulu , Hawaii) was an American singer .

Life

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (often just called "Iz" by friends and fans) came from a musical family; his uncle Moe Keale was a Hawaiian music legend. At the age of eleven, after his parents moved to Mākaha , he began making music with his older brother Skippy (1957–1982). In addition to singing, Kamakawiwoʻole played the ukulele and at the age of 15 founded the group The Mākaha Sons of Niʻihau together with his brother Skippy, Jerome Koko , Moon Kauakahi and John Koko , which released nine albums over the course of 15 years and won the Nā Hōkū Hanohano award several times got awarded.

In the early 1990s, Kamakawiwo'ole left the Sons and started a solo career. He also rose to fame outside of Hawaii when his album Facing Future was released in 1993. A total of six albums were released with him as a soloist.

In addition to his music, Kamakawiwo'ole was very committed to the needs of the Hawaiian people, the preservation of Hawaiian culture and nature. The Hawaiian language (Ōlelo Hawaiʻi) was very close to his heart and so, often through his songs, he played a major role in the preservation and revival of this almost extinct language of the native people of Hawaii. In addition, he was committed to the independence of Hawaii. His efforts to achieve Hawaiian independence and the rights of the native Hawaiians can also be found in the lyrics of some of his songs, for example in the title Hawai'i '78 , in which he calls for respect for Hawaiian culture and criticizes the destruction of nature.

As his obesity progressed, he was no longer able to play his works on the ukulele. Because of this, a Hawaiian guitar maker made a one-off piece for him, which was roughly the size of a guitar suitable for children, but had the essential sound elements of the ukulele.

Kamakawiwoʻole was only 38 years old. He died on June 26, 1997 after several hospital stays of shortness of breath due to his pathological obesity (in the meantime he had a weight of 343 kg, with a height of 1.88 m this corresponds to a body mass index of 97). He left behind his wife Marlene Kamakawiwo'ole and their daughter Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".

After the death of the extremely popular Hawaiian, known in his homeland as The Gentle Giant , the government ordered state mourning . He was only the third Hawaiian (and first non-politician) to have his coffin laid out in the Hawaii State Capitol Building. At the funeral on July 10, 1997, over 10,000 guests were present. When two days later, on July 12, 1997, his ashes were thrown into the sea, thousands of people gathered on the beach and swam or rowed in small boats or on surfboards to pay their last respects. On September 20, 2003, a bronze statue of him was inaugurated on his native island of Oahu in the presence of his widow Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole .

Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World

The medley of Somewhere over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World , dedicated to Kamakawiwoʻole Gabby Pahinui , first appeared in 1993 on the album Facing Future . Aselin Debison successfully covered the medley for East Asia .

The title has been featured frequently in soundtracks for movies and TV series such as Emergency Room , Forrester - Found! , Rendezvous with Joe Black , Scrubs , 50 First Dates, or Pasadena used. In 2007 the song was re-released in the UK and hit the charts. As a result, the song was heard more often in Germany. It was here that the album Facing Future reached the album hit parade.

After Universal Music and B1 Recordings acquired the song rights, which included Kamakawiwo'ole's widow, from the small world music publisher Mountain Apple in Hawaii, the title was released on September 3, 2010 in Germany as CD and download. The single reached number 1 in Germany and was already platinum at the end of September.

The title became the most successful single of 2010 in the official German sales charts .

On March 24, 2011 he received the echo for Over the Rainbow posthumously for the "Hit of the Year".

Signature ukulele

The US-American guitar and ukulele manufacturer CF Martin & Co. posthumously dedicated a signature ukulele to Kamakawiwo'ole , the "Martin 1T IZ Tenor Ukulele". The paper label inside the instrument is signed by his widow.

Discography

Albums with the Mākaha Sons of Niʻihau

  • 1976: No Kristo
  • 1977: Kahea o Keale
  • 1978: Keala
  • 1979: Mākaha Sons of Niʻihau
  • 1981: Mahalo Ke Akua
  • 1984: Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha
  • 1986: Ho'ola
  • 1991: Makaha Bash 3 Live
  • 1992: Ho'oluana

Solo albums

  • 1990: Ka'ano'i
  • 1993: Facing Future (US: Platinum record icon.svg)
  • 1995: E Ala E.
  • 1996: N Dis Life
  • 2000: Iz in Concert
  • 2001: Alone in Iz World
  • 2004: Iz: The Man Behind the Music
  • 2007: Wonderful World
  • 2008: Unforgettable
  • 2010: Somewhere over the Rainbow
  • 2011: The Best of IZ - Somewhere over the Rainbow

Singles

Awards

  • Echo 2011: in the category "Hit of the year (national / international)" (Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World) (posthumous)
  • Record awards: DE AT CH UK US
  • On the occasion of his 61st birthday on May 20, 2020, a Google Doodle was dedicated to Kamakawiwoʻole Postum .

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ a b Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
  2. ^ Rick Carroll: Iz: Voice of the People . Bess, Honolulu, Hawai'i 2006.
  3. ↑ Sculpture's Debut Honors 'Braddah IZ' from September 21, 2003
  4. ↑ Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole storms the charts DerWesten from October 8, 2010
  5. ↑ Germans Are 'Over The Rainbow' for Iz Spiegel from October 29, 2010.
  6. ↑ Hit from Beyond Die Zeit from October 20, 2010
  7. ↑ Stern stormed the charts like a dead man on October 6, 2010.
  8. ↑ Germans Are 'Over The Rainbow' for Iz Spiegel Online (English) of September 29, 2010
  9. Jump up ↑ Annual music charts: “Gentle Riese” and the Graf make their way through Media Control's press release on January 4, 2011
  10. ↑ Welt Online: Lena and Unheilig clear away at the Echo 2011 , March 24, 2011
  11. ↑ Martin 1T IZ Tenor Ukulele on martinguitar.com
personal data
SURNAME Kamakawiwoʻole, Israel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Braddah Iz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American singer
DATE OF BIRTH May 20, 1959
PLACE OF BIRTH Kaimukī , Oahu , Hawaii
DATE OF DEATH June 26, 1997
Place of death Honolulu