Facing Future

The voice is supple, ethereal, with only a ukulele accompaniment, and can melt the hardest heart. Then I found out more about Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and was saddened to learn that he died in 1997, due to complications associated with obesity. The man was huge, but what a gentle, beautful voice.

The "Somewhere/Wonderful" medley is only the tip of the iceberg on this excellent disk. This is modern Hawaiian music with passion and taste, not the cheesy stuff for the tourists. Ten years after its release in 1993, this disk is still heavily promoted at record stores and souvenir shops in Hawaii. It's that good.

"Take Me Home Country Road" substitutes Hawaiian geography for West Virginia, but it's still a nice sentiment of family and home.

"Hawai'i '79 Introduction" and "Hawai'i '78" are beautiful, reflective pieces that showcase this talented singer's voice.

Iz also sings about a Hawai'i of earlier times, before being overrun by mainland developers and Japanese tourists. While listening to songs such as "White Sandy Beach of Hawai'i" one can envision the swaying greenery of a cane field and rainbows over the green mountains of Kaua'i. Dig deeper for gems like "Henehene Kou'Aka," sung in the Hawaiian language, with tasty strums of ukulele and natural percussion.


I Was Blessed, Too   March 27, 2005
Cindy Lutz (Portland, OR)
28 out of 28 found this review helpful

My family and I just returned from a spring break trip to Hawaii. This was my fourth trip, and I really wanted to avoid the madness that is Waikiki, so we rented a house on the beach in the little town of Hauula. Though I'm not a runner, in an effort to counteract the effects of frequent "plate lunch" meals, I went jogging along the beach/highway most mornings while we were there. One particular morning, I had sand in my shoes, so I stopped at a little beach sandwiched between two houses, and noticed a large, hand-painted sign that I'd seen but been unable to read as we drove by. I may have heard of "Iz" before--and I'd certainly heard his rendition of "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World," but I had no idea what the painter of this sign was talking about--only that someone named "Bruddah Iz" had (apparently) died and that he'd blessed this person's life.

Later that day, we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, and being too early to get in, we spent considerable time in the gift shop, where I was very surprised to see the name "Bruddah Iz" again. Upon learning that he was the artist who sang "Over the Rainbow" and that he'd died and yet was still (on some level) being mourned, I knew I had to have this CD--right then!

Like many other reviewers, it's hard to describe what hearing this man's music, particularly while being in a more "local" Hawaii, means. I cried from the opening bars of the first song--partly because I knew he was dead before I knew he was alive, partly because so much was communicated in a few simple lines and melodies. It is hard to believe that such a sweet, pure voice could emerge from someone with respiratory problems, but perhaps that's appropriate. Perhaps Hawaii has been ravaged, but its beauty nonetheless cannot be contained. I'm not sure what it is--only that I too was and am blessed by Bruddah Iz.





ALOHA HAWAI'I   May 28, 2002
Mary Baumer (Waukesha, WI United States)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

This CD is amazing. I bought it because i got hooked on the jingle for toys.com, the oooo oooo ooooo ooo part, drove me mad; who sang that little ditty? I was watching Mark Greens exit from ER and checked a message board and found out that IZ sang the cover of "Over the Rainbow-what a wonderful world"

WOW is all I can say about this album and this singer. It is a very calming album, you couldnt pick a better one to relax to.