IZ

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole AKA Iz.

Still one of the most beautiful voices of Hawaii even though Iz died in 1997 at the age of 38. His voice is gentle and soulful, powerful and full of emotion. This song is one of my favourites, and when I hear it, I'm once again sitting on a white sandy beach with the trade winds ruffling my hair as the surfers roll in on the waves of Waikiki.



As I said in a previous post, I went to Hawaii without any expectations and really not knowing all that much about the history or culture. What I discovered was this thing called the Aloha Spirit, alive and very real. The people are kind and very proud of their country.

"We shall extend and display respect to all others which reflects our own appreciation of humanity. We shall carry our pride quietly, neither boasting of ourselves nor speaking badly of others - often a dishonest method of self-praise. Yet we must be unashamed of our principles and honest in our criticisms."

~ Hawaiian Code of Conduct

And this one will just break your heart. It's the one that brought international attention and is most widely known.