Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Kamakawiwoʻole in 1993
Background information
Birth name	Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole
Born	May 20, 1959 Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
Origin	Hawaii, United States
Died	June 26, 1997 (aged 38) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Genres	Hawaii folk world reggae
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Ukulele vocals
Years active	1976–1997
Labels	Mountain Apple Company
Associated acts	Mākaha Sons

Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kəˌmɐkəˌvivoˈʔole], translation: “The Fearless Eyed Man”; May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Braddah Iz (Brother 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 incorporation of other genres, such as jazz and reggae, Kamakawiwoʻole remains influential in Hawaiian music.^[1]

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World”
Single by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
from the album Ka ʻAnoʻi and Facing Future
Released	1990 (K’A) November 1, 1993 (FF)
Recorded	1988
Genre	Hawaii reggae world
Length	5:08
Label	Big Boy Records

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” (also known as “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World“) is a medley of the songs “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World“, by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole and released on his albums Ka ʻAnoʻi and Facing Future.

Recording history[edit]

The song was originally recorded in a spur-of-the-moment demo session in 1988, and was done in a single take. At the time, copies of the recording were only made for Kamakawiwoʻole himself and recording engineer Milan Bertosa.^[1] The song was re-recorded as an “upbeat Jawaiian version” for Kamakawiwoʻole’s debut album Ka ʻAnoʻi, listed as “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World.”^[2] In 1993, five years after the original recording, Bertosa played the song for producer Jon de Mello while the two were completing work on Facing Future, and de Mello decided to include it in the album as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World”.^[1]

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” reached #12 on Billboard’s Hot Digital Tracks chart the week of January 31, 2004 (for the survey week ending January 18, 2004).

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