The escalating success of Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole, the late great Hawaiian vocalist known to many simply as “IZ,” is an amazing story.
In 1993, following a successful run as part of the Mäkaha Sons of Ni‘ihau, Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole ventured out on his own. His first release was his remarkable solo CD “Facing Future”. Facing Future served to bring the focus on Israel’s stunning voice and launched his incredibly successful solo recording career. “Facing Future” was followed with the release of another five remarkable recordings, “E Ala E” (1995), “N Dis Life” (1996), “IZ In Concert: The Man and His Music” (1998), “Alone In IZ World” (2001) and “Wonderful World” (2007).
With each successive recording, Israel shared his love of Hawai‘i and her people with the world at large and the world responded in kind. Today, Facing Future remains the top selling Hawaiian music album in the world. In 2002 it was certified gold by the RIAA, a first for a Hawaiian Record label. In 2005, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 1 million units.
