Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (translation: "The Fearless Eyed Man") (May … Read Full Bio ↴Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (translation: "The Fearless Eyed Man") (May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Bruddah Iz or IZ, was a Native Hawaiian singer-songwriter, musician, and Hawaiian sovereignty activist.
His voice became famous outside Hawaii when his album Facing Future was released in 1993. His medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" was released on his albums Ka ʻAnoʻi and Facing Future. It was subsequently featured in several films, television programs, and television commercials. Along with his ukulele playing and incorporating other genres, such as jazz and reggae, Kamakawiwoʻole remains influential in Hawaiian music.
Kamakawiwoʻole was born at Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu to Henry "Hank" Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwoʻole, Jr. and Evangeline "Angie" Leinani Kamakawiwoʻole. The notable Hawaiian musician Moe Keale was his uncle and a major musical influence. He was raised in the community of Kaimuki, where his parents had met and married. He began playing music with his older brother Skippy and cousin Allen Thornton at the age of 11, being exposed to Hawaiian entertainers' music, such as Peter Moon, Palani Vaughn, and Don Ho, who frequented the establishment where Kamakawiwoʻole's parents worked. Hawaiian musician Del Beazley spoke of the first time he heard Israel perform when playing for a graduation party. The whole room fell silent on hearing him sing. Israel continued his path as his brother Skippy entered the Army in 1971, and cousin Allen parted ways in 1976 for the mainland.
In his early teens, he studied at Upward Bound (UB) of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and his family moved to Mākaha. There he met Louis Kauakahi, Sam Gray, and Jerome Koko. Together with his brother Skippy they formed the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau. A part of the Hawaiian Renaissance, the band's blend of contemporary and traditional styles gained popularity as they toured Hawaii and the continental United States, releasing fifteen successful albums. Kamakawiwoʻole aimed to make music that stayed true to the typical sound of traditional Hawaiian music. During that time period, the songs that many people associated with Hawaii, typically, were not traditional-sounding songs.
The Makaha Sons of Niʻihau recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released four more albums, including Kahea O Keale, Keala, Makaha Sons of Niʻihau, and Mahalo Ke Akua. In 1982, Kamakawiwoʻole's brother, Skippy, died at age 28 of a heart attack[5] related to obesity. In that same year, Kamakawiwoʻole married his childhood sweetheart Marlene. Soon after, they had a daughter named Ceslieanne "Wehi" (born in c. 1983).
The group became Hawaii's most popular contemporary, traditional group with breakout albums 1984's Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha and its follow-up, 1986's Hoʻola. Kamakawiwoʻole's last recorded album with the group was 1991's Hoʻoluana. It remains the group's top-selling CD.
In 1990, Kamakawiwoʻole released his first solo album Ka ʻAnoʻi, which won awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). Facing Future was released in 1993 by The Mountain Apple Company. It featured a version of his most popular song, the medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" (listed as "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World"), along with "Hawaiʻi 78", "White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi," "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man," and "Kaulana Kawaihae." The decision to include a cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was a last-minute decision by his producer Jon de Mello and Kamakawiwoʻole. Facing Future debuted at #25 on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalogue chart. On October 26, 2005, Facing Future became Hawaiʻi's first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States, according to figures furnished by the Recording Industry Association of America. On July 21, 2006, BBC Radio 1 announced that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World (True Dreams)" would be released as a single in America.
In 1994, Kamakawiwoʻole was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).
E Ala E (1995) featured the political title song "ʻE Ala ʻE" and "Kaleohano," and N Dis Life (1996) featured "In This Life" and "Starting All Over Again."
In 1997, Kamakawiwoʻole was again honored by HARA at the Annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Favorite Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, and Island Contemporary Album of the Year. He watched the awards ceremony from a hospital room.
Alone in Iz World (2001) debuted at #1 on Billboard's World Chart and #135 on Billboard's Top 200, #13 on the Top Independent Albums Chart, and #15 on the Top Internet Album Sales charts.
On December 6, 2010, NPR named Kamakawiwoʻole as "The Voice of Hawaii" in its 50 great voices series.
On March 24, 2011, Kamakawiwoʻole was honored with the German national music award Echo. The music managers Wolfgang Boss and Jon de Mello accepted the trophy in his stead.
A 2014 Pixar short film, Lava, features two volcanoes as the main characters. Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and his style of music was James Ford Murphy's partial inspiration for the short film.
His voice became famous outside Hawaii when his album Facing Future was released in 1993. His medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" was released on his albums Ka ʻAnoʻi and Facing Future. It was subsequently featured in several films, television programs, and television commercials. Along with his ukulele playing and incorporating other genres, such as jazz and reggae, Kamakawiwoʻole remains influential in Hawaiian music.
Kamakawiwoʻole was born at Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu to Henry "Hank" Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwoʻole, Jr. and Evangeline "Angie" Leinani Kamakawiwoʻole. The notable Hawaiian musician Moe Keale was his uncle and a major musical influence. He was raised in the community of Kaimuki, where his parents had met and married. He began playing music with his older brother Skippy and cousin Allen Thornton at the age of 11, being exposed to Hawaiian entertainers' music, such as Peter Moon, Palani Vaughn, and Don Ho, who frequented the establishment where Kamakawiwoʻole's parents worked. Hawaiian musician Del Beazley spoke of the first time he heard Israel perform when playing for a graduation party. The whole room fell silent on hearing him sing. Israel continued his path as his brother Skippy entered the Army in 1971, and cousin Allen parted ways in 1976 for the mainland.
In his early teens, he studied at Upward Bound (UB) of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and his family moved to Mākaha. There he met Louis Kauakahi, Sam Gray, and Jerome Koko. Together with his brother Skippy they formed the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau. A part of the Hawaiian Renaissance, the band's blend of contemporary and traditional styles gained popularity as they toured Hawaii and the continental United States, releasing fifteen successful albums. Kamakawiwoʻole aimed to make music that stayed true to the typical sound of traditional Hawaiian music. During that time period, the songs that many people associated with Hawaii, typically, were not traditional-sounding songs.
The Makaha Sons of Niʻihau recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released four more albums, including Kahea O Keale, Keala, Makaha Sons of Niʻihau, and Mahalo Ke Akua. In 1982, Kamakawiwoʻole's brother, Skippy, died at age 28 of a heart attack[5] related to obesity. In that same year, Kamakawiwoʻole married his childhood sweetheart Marlene. Soon after, they had a daughter named Ceslieanne "Wehi" (born in c. 1983).
The group became Hawaii's most popular contemporary, traditional group with breakout albums 1984's Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha and its follow-up, 1986's Hoʻola. Kamakawiwoʻole's last recorded album with the group was 1991's Hoʻoluana. It remains the group's top-selling CD.
In 1990, Kamakawiwoʻole released his first solo album Ka ʻAnoʻi, which won awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). Facing Future was released in 1993 by The Mountain Apple Company. It featured a version of his most popular song, the medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" (listed as "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World"), along with "Hawaiʻi 78", "White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi," "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man," and "Kaulana Kawaihae." The decision to include a cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was a last-minute decision by his producer Jon de Mello and Kamakawiwoʻole. Facing Future debuted at #25 on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalogue chart. On October 26, 2005, Facing Future became Hawaiʻi's first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States, according to figures furnished by the Recording Industry Association of America. On July 21, 2006, BBC Radio 1 announced that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World (True Dreams)" would be released as a single in America.
In 1994, Kamakawiwoʻole was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).
E Ala E (1995) featured the political title song "ʻE Ala ʻE" and "Kaleohano," and N Dis Life (1996) featured "In This Life" and "Starting All Over Again."
In 1997, Kamakawiwoʻole was again honored by HARA at the Annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Favorite Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, and Island Contemporary Album of the Year. He watched the awards ceremony from a hospital room.
Alone in Iz World (2001) debuted at #1 on Billboard's World Chart and #135 on Billboard's Top 200, #13 on the Top Independent Albums Chart, and #15 on the Top Internet Album Sales charts.
On December 6, 2010, NPR named Kamakawiwoʻole as "The Voice of Hawaii" in its 50 great voices series.
On March 24, 2011, Kamakawiwoʻole was honored with the German national music award Echo. The music managers Wolfgang Boss and Jon de Mello accepted the trophy in his stead.
A 2014 Pixar short film, Lava, features two volcanoes as the main characters. Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and his style of music was James Ford Murphy's partial inspiration for the short film.
'Opae E
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
`Ôpae ê, `Ôpae ho`i
Shrimp, Shrimp return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine*
For Sister.
Hui: / Aia wai, aia puhi
There's water, there's eel
Nui `o Puhi a li`i li`i au
Big (is) Eel and little (is) me.
A`ole loa.
Absolutely not.
Pûpû ê, Pûpû ho`i
Shellfish, Shellfish return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine
For Sister.
(E hana hou i ka hui)
(Repeat )
Kûpe`e ê, Kûpe`e ho'i
Sea snail, Sea snail return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine
For Sister.
'Opihi ê, 'Opihi ho'i
Limpet, Limpet return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine
For Sister.
Mai maka'u, na'u e pani
(I'm) Not afraid, for me to block/cover
I ka maka a `ike `ole
the eyes (of the puhi so he) cannot see
Kêlâ puhi
That eel.
*kuahine = sister of a brother, pronunciation of "k"
can vary from a k-sound to a t-sound.
Shrimp, Shrimp return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine*
For Sister.
Hui: / Aia wai, aia puhi
Nui `o Puhi a li`i li`i au
Big (is) Eel and little (is) me.
A`ole loa.
Absolutely not.
Pûpû ê, Pûpû ho`i
Shellfish, Shellfish return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine
For Sister.
(E hana hou i ka hui)
(Repeat )
Kûpe`e ê, Kûpe`e ho'i
Sea snail, Sea snail return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine
For Sister.
'Opihi ê, 'Opihi ho'i
Limpet, Limpet return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine
For Sister.
Mai maka'u, na'u e pani
(I'm) Not afraid, for me to block/cover
I ka maka a `ike `ole
the eyes (of the puhi so he) cannot see
Kêlâ puhi
That eel.
*kuahine = sister of a brother, pronunciation of "k"
can vary from a k-sound to a t-sound.
The song 'Opae E by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is a traditional Hawaiian song that talks about the different creatures of the sea, namely, shrimp (opae), shellfish (pupu), sea snail (kupee), and limpet (opihii) which are mentioned in the lyrics in separate verses. The song can be interpreted as a call to these creatures to return and to be caught so that they can be used for food. The chorus of the song talks about the availability of water and eel. The singer, being little, says that he or she is coming forward to gather these creatures for her sister, embodying the tradition of caring for family and community through the gathering of food.
The song has special cultural significance in Hawaii as it reflects the importance of the sea to the people of Hawaii, and their deep connection to its creatures. The song has been sung in Hawaii for generations, and is often sung at luau or Hawaiian feasts. The verse structure, language, and themes of the song reflect the country's rich cultural heritage and its unique relationship with the sea.
Line by Line Meaning
Ôpae ê, Ôpae ho`i
Shrimp, Shrimp return
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
I am coming hither, I am coming hither
Na Kuahine
For Sister.
Hui: / Aia wai, aia puhi
There's water, there's eel
Nui `o Puhi a li`i li`i au
Big (is) Eel and little (is) me.
A`ole loa.
Absolutely not.
Pûpû ê, Pûpû ho`i
Shellfish, Shellfish return
Kûpe`e ê, Kûpe`e ho'i
Sea snail, Sea snail return
Mai maka'u, na'u e pani
(I'm) Not afraid, for me to block/cover
I ka maka a `ike `ole
the eyes (of the puhi so he) cannot see
Kêlâ puhi
That eel.
E hana hou i ka hui
(Repeat)
Opihi ê, 'Opihi ho'i
Limpet, Limpet return
Writer(s): Aluli Irmgard, Pilahi Paki
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@BUS_MUSIC
Hawaiian singers have this incredible talent that feels like magic. First, there was Israel, and now there's Iam Tongi! When they sing, it's like they cast a spell on you. I just love them both!
@donaldisraeljosephlegault4250
An angel on earth
So beautiful
Visited us on a grain of sand
In this eternal universe
His gift to us eternally present.
@dougdimmadome3251
Was having a massive panic attack and couldn't calm myself down, iz never Fails to help❤ put my earbuds in and went for a walk and in 2-3 songs I felt so much better. Now I'm just listening cause I'm lost in it😂
@annickdiss9067
C'est absolument magnifique! Merci
@countrychess
J adore ce titre ainsi que son interprétation. 👍
@alexandroscharatsaris7879
R.I.P
YOU LEGEND❤
@Nerea-qy2ep
So cute!😍❤
@gilowen1488
Sure they will
@cowleshome
i lay my son on my chest and put this on... instant peace lol
@lauraraber5403
i am going to sing this for my chours