Best Gift Shopping > Music > Pacific Islands
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Best Gift Shopping > Music > Pacific Islands
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Facing Future(more) »rank: 153by: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Our review:Album Description:There's a smart balance of traditional Hawaiiana and contemporary tunes on this CD. There's heart-tugging warmth along with unexpected chuckles. The end result is a candid, honest reinforcement of his vocal breadth. :To gauge the magnitude of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's popularity in his native Hawaii, consider this: following his death in 1997 (at age 38, attributed to his profound obesity), Kamakawiwo'ole's body lay in state in the state capitol, only the second person to receive such an honor. Kamakawiwo'ole's appeal lies in his love for prestatehood, precondominium Hawaii and the expressiveness of his gently passionate voice, which can float through higher registers with ... Detail |
Alone in IZ World(more) »rank: 647by: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Our review:Album Description:new songs * enhanced arrangements * unplugged performances * on a cd-rom featuring photo gallery, bio, national and local press coverage, IZ sightings, screen saver and catalog :The artist behind Facing Future, the top-selling Hawaiian album of all time, the late Israel 'IZ' Kamakawiwo'ole was possessed of a voice so sweet, so tender, and so lovely that it continues to deeply stir those who hear it long after he died. Lovingly assembled and notated by producer Jon de Mello, Alone in IZ World is comprised of both alternate versions of Kamakawio'ole's best-loved songs as well as tracks never before heard by the ... Detail |
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Wonderful World(more) »rank: 1359by: Israel Iz Kamakawiwo'ole
Our review: :Even a decade after his death at age 38 in 1997, Israel 'Iz' Kamakawiwo'ole remains Hawaii's best-known and most beloved singer. His career began when he and his older brother, Skippy, formed a group in their hometown near Honolulu. The two performed together until the latter died in 1982. The band continued on for some years but it was Iz's haunting voice, with its searing yet limpid falsetto, that captured the popular imagination. Indeed, his 'ukulele-laced version of 'Over the Rainbow' is widely thought to be the only interpretation that could possibly stand up to Judy Garland's original. Now that the definitive retrospective, ... Detail |
Gently Weeps(more) »rank: 1592by: Jake Shimabukuro
Our review: :You'll forget all the Tiny Tim, Don Ho, and Hawaiian-music jokes about the ukulele when you hear Gently Weeps, which leaves behind the Roaring Twenties strum and plinky-dink sound of most such music. Jake Shimabukuro sets the tone with the lead-off track from which he takes the album's title, George Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps,' unfolding the vulnerable undertow of Harrison's epic lament. A string of covers follows, as Shimabukuro touches the serene with Schubert's 'Ave Maria,' evokes a Japanese koto on a Zen-like version of 'Sakura,' and turns 'The Star-Spangled Banner' into a lament. But Shimabukuro's original tunes are just as ... Detail |
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In Dis Life(more) »rank: 5371by: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Our review:Album Description:Released in 1996, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, better known as IZ is much a part of Hawaii as the beautiful blue oceans. Every cut on this album you can hear the power and majesty that is IZ, which gets into the listeners' heart and soul. 'In Dis Life' serves-up a mix of Hawaiian language standards, two hit tunes from local artists, several fresh new songs and a Jawaiian remake of 'Starting All Over Again'. A must have if you are a fan of IZ's other material. Detail |
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas(more) »rank: 2337by: Various Artists
Our review: :Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas is genre melding of the best sort: incredible guitar playing in the Hawaiian tradition dominates the disc, but the material is mostly familiar holiday carols. The result is a truly original and refreshingly low-key take on Christmas music. Keola Beamer's version of 'Away in a Manger' is filled with jazzy bass touches; Led Kaapana and Bob Brozman's 'Jingle Bells' is a hard-driving and virtuosic showpiece, with Brozman seemingly working the entire fretboard; and Bla Pahanui's arrangement of 'O Come All Ye Faithful' is gorgeous and creative. Ozzie Kotani's 'First Noel' is understated but a touch too sentimental and the ... Detail |
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Ka 'Ano'i(more) »rank: 6794by: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Our review: essential recording:Better known among his fans as 'Iz,' Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was a phenomenon in the Hawai'ian Islands totally below Mainland radar. So important was Iz's singing to Native Hawa'ians and Hawai'i residents alike that Governor Ben Cayetano declared a statewide day of mourning when Iz passed away in 1997--this despite his controversial Hawai'i-sovereignty politics. Ka Ano'i was the 1991 winner of the prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Award for best contemporary Hawai'ian album, and Iz himself won for best male vocalist that year. This album is appealing mainly for its honesty and simplicity: simplicity of tone consistent with the casual ukulele and slack-key ... Detail |
Ki Ho'alu Christmas: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar(more) »rank: 3676by: Various Artists
Our review: essential recording:Better known among his fans as 'Iz,' Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was a phenomenon in the Hawai'ian Islands totally below Mainland radar. So important was Iz's singing to Native Hawa'ians and Hawai'i residents alike that Governor Ben Cayetano declared a statewide day of mourning when Iz passed away in 1997--this despite his controversial Hawai'i-sovereignty politics. Ka Ano'i was the 1991 winner of the prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Award for best contemporary Hawai'ian album, and Iz himself won for best male vocalist that year. This album is appealing mainly for its honesty and simplicity: simplicity of tone consistent with the casual ukulele and slack-key ... Detail |
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IZ in Concert: The Man and His Music(more) »rank: 11865by: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Our review:Album Description:This compact disc is being released on IZ's birthday, as a gift to his fans from his 'ohana. The aloha he felt for all of his audiences was passionate-whether they were seeing him in concert or just listening to one of his albums. IZ's life is in his music. Detail |
Christmas on Big Island(more) »rank: 6854by: The Blue Hawaiians
Our review:Album Description:This compact disc is being released on IZ's birthday, as a gift to his fans from his 'ohana. The aloha he felt for all of his audiences was passionate-whether they were seeing him in concert or just listening to one of his albums. IZ's life is in his music. Detail |