My first exposure to Israel Kamakawiwoole was a TV special some years back about contemporary Hawaiian music and its political/environmental aspects. With his former band The Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau, Iz performed "Hawaii '78", a version of which opens "Facing Future". Iz is most famous for his ubiquitous medley of "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World". I never really liked that medley; for one thing, the sentiment of one song seemed the polar opposite of the other. And then there's "Take Me Home,Country Road" , a variation on the cover that Toots and the Maytals recorded, and the best argument for your CD player's 'skip' button. But reading the recently released book by Dan Kois (one of the best in the excellent 33 1/3 series) helped me put the dichotomy of "Rainbow/Wonderful" in perspective, and offered real insights into the plight of Native Hawaiians and Iz in particular. (I still skip right past "Country Road", though...)
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