Island Music, Island Hearts

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Choice
Review: I visited Hawaii for the first time last year. While there in Maui I got introduced to this wonderful music in a way that stuck with me. There are many great musical artists in Hawaii and Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole is one of the best. Unfortunately Isreal's physical presence is no longer with us. I would have loved to have gone to one of his concerts. Fortunately there are some DVD's available so we can not just listen to this wonderful artist on CD but experience his humor and humanity with our eyes as well as our ears. This DVD is a beautiful and intimate look at Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole, his band, his people, and of Hawaii too.

Rating:
Summary: The music is transendental, Iz's passion comes through
Review: I'm ordering the DVD now, but I had borrowed a friends VHS copy a while back. His enormous physical size put me back a bit (800 pounds) at first, but once he starts performing, that was soon forgotten. He had nice upbeat songs that sounds great, but it's his heart rending and the genuine passion that you can sense behind the music that will move you. This is a throughly enjoyable 'film' and performace. When Iz sing the 'bonus' song "Hawaii '78" at the end where he is remorsing the changes in his beautiful islands, and starts to cry as he's performing, if ANYONE can see that and not be moved to tears from a broken heart, I'll give you 20 bucks. What this man meant to Hawaii was realized when he passed away. The mortitians were forced to put the casket in the capital and over 10,000 people came to pay they respects. The following day when his ashes were scattered, crowds of thousands cheered and continued to cheer loudly for over an hour. The birthday of this man who was monumental in many different ways is still treated like a state holliday in Hawaii, and it wouldn't surprise me if it were eventually made official. He was a rare and gifted man, and will be sorely missed. The TRUE size of a man is when his absence is palpably felt and continues to be felt.