To get a sense of how diverse people’s musical tastes are these days, take a look at iTunes. One of the more popular artists — in addition to the Britneys and Beyoncés — is a Hawaiian singer who weighed 1,000 pounds at the time of his death in 1997.
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” has consistently been on iTunes’ list of the top 100 songs sold since it debuted in the store in December. Recently, the song held spot No. 73, ahead of Jessica Simpson’s “Take My Breath Away” (81) and Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” (82).
Bruddah Iz (”bruddah” is “brother” or “pal” in Hawaiian pidgin), as he is known to his fans, is hardly a household name outside Hawaii. Though he never had the radio saturation of major-label artists or captured paparazzi flashbulbs with his aloha shirts, his gentle voice and ukulele continue to make a lasting impression on music fans.
That’s one of the benefits of digital music stores. While radio and television tend to promote big-label pop stars, these lists give the curious a quick glimpse into the musical tastes of the digital music audience.
Born on the Hawaiian island of Niihau, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (pronounced ka ma ka vee vo olay) was one of the 1,000 or so native Hawaiians remaining. His girth required a bit more care, but it didn’t slow him down. He used an oxygen tank regularly during the last few years of his life. He was once forklifted onto a plane when he couldn’t walk up the stairs to board. Hawaiian Airlines fitted a first-class seat specifically for Iz. He performed in San Francisco and Las Vegas in the last year of his life before he died at age 38.
But unfamiliar with Iz’s story, new fans still contact his record label to find out when he will be touring.
“This song instantly touches the hearts of people, no matter where they are from,” said Leah Bernstein, president of Mountain Apple Company, the independent Hawaiian label that markets Iz’s five solo albums. “We were actively pursuing iTunes because we felt it was an important vehicle for Hawaiian music.”
Through traditional CD stores, commercials, television shows, movies and digital music stores, “we have expanded the fan base well beyond our wildest dreams.”
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