Google Doodle honors Hawaiian ukulele player Israel ‘Iz’ Kamakawiwo’ole

The name Israel Kamakawiwoʻole may not be immediately apparent to some, but his music is known to many around the world. The Hawaiian-born – better known as Iz – was a musician, singer and songwriter whose ukulele medley from Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World gave the beloved classic a heart-warming note.

His joyous version of the ballad has been released on the soundtrack of several films, television programs and commercials, and he is so influential in Hawaiian music that he is considered “the voice of Hawaii”. In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage, Google celebrates Iz ’61st birthday on Wednesday with an animated video doodle that illustrates his life.

To the sound of his legendary version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, the animated video features doodle pieces of Kapa, ​​a traditional Hawaiian plant fiber fabric adorned with linear patterns made with dyes from native Hawaiian plants.

Born on May 20, 1959 in Honolulu, Israel Ka’ano’i Kamakawiwo’ole (Kah-MAH-kah-VEE-voh-OH-lay) started playing ukulele with his brother and cousin at the age of 11. In 1976, when many Hawaiians rediscovered their language and culture, the teenager Iz founded the band Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau with his brother and three friends, playing a mix of contemporary and traditional styles. They toured Hawaii and the US mainland and released 15 successful albums.

Late in the night of 1988, during a spontaneous recording session, Iz made his first recording of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The song was recorded in a single shot, and besides the master recording, Iz received the only copy. Five years later, the sound engineer played the recording for a record producer who decided to put it on one of Iz ‘albums as Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World.

The song became an international hit, reached number 12 on Billboard’s Hot Digital Tracks list in 2004 and appeared in the soundtracks of films such as Meet Joe Black, Finding Forrester and 50 First Dates.

Kamakawiwoʻole died in 1997 at the age of 38 from medical problems related to his weight.

The doodle was created in collaboration with the Kamakawiwo’ole family and Wai’anae guest artist Dalani Tanahy from Kapa, ​​Hawaii.