Israel Kamakawiwo’ole Lives On

I’ve had a chance this week in Oahu to get back in touch with my love of traditional Hawaiian music. For me, that journey always begins with the music of IZ. IZ’s real name is Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. He had the voice of an angel. It is such a shame that he left us at such a young age, passing away from complications of a respiratory disease in 1997.

Israel and his brother Skippy formed the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau with Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, Sam Gray and Jerome Koko.  The group changed around a bit through the years, especially with the death of IZ’s brother Skippy. They became prominent on the traditional Hawaiian theme scene in 1991, when IZ’s album Ka’ano’I won Hoku awards for Contemporary Album of the Year. The Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau's "Makaha Bash 3," won Group awards the very next year.

Interestingly enough, it is a two song medley of his that means the most to me. Many people have heard the combo “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/It’s A Wonderful World.”  I many respects, I believe those two songs summed up IZ’s wish for a world that lived by a true spirit of Aloha. Take a look into the heart of the singer in this section of verse (you may even know the melody):

Someday I'll wish upon a star, wake up where the clouds are far behind me

 Where trouble melts like lemon drops

High above the chimney tops is where you'll find me       

Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly                          

And the dreams that you dare to, oh why, oh why can't I?

Israel had fought a battle with drugs, weight, and depression in his life. Yet, he always dared to dream of a world that was beautiful, and noble, and good.  He claimed for himself the spirit of Louis Armstrong’s song, when he declared the world “wonderful.”  I especially feel that in the verse about children, when he sang:

I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,

They'll learn much more than we'll know

 And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

For many, the spirit of aloha talks of a spirituality where people learn to live together in a spirit of brotherhood. When you’re in the Islands, you have many cousins, as you are part of the ohana of Whole Island. But Israel tried to take us a little deeper in his music. The spirit of aloha causes us to love ourselves also, and work to be a better person each day.  We are only able to live aloha as we can first love and forgive ourselves, as our life journey leads us on.

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole will live on in his music.  And his music will live on in me, as I live aloha everyday with my cousins everywhere. Mahalo.