E Ala E

by Adam Greenberg A nice sample of Jawaiian (Hawaiian reggae) music from its master, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, better known to his fans as IZ. In general, this album seems rather more Hawaiian than Jamaican in most respects, with more soft ukulele/slack key-style ballads than higher tempo reggae. The music is outstanding by any measure, and the vocal (and ukulele playing) abilities of Kamakawiwo'ole are amazing. The songs generally are either slightly folk-like or political in nature, but there are certainly other aspects available within the album. Among other things, IZ turns in a performance of Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" that far outdoes the original in many ways. Also, there's a cover of the "Theme From Gilligan's Island" that's noteworthy, also being one of the primary reggae numbers on the album. N Dis Life is a slightly more reggae-oriented album (and profits thoroughly from such), but this one also shows off a nice side of Kamakawiwo'ole's abilities: the lighter, more fully Hawaiian ballad.