Product Details

• Format: Color, Digital Sound, DVD, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Mountain Apple
• DVD Release Date: November 26, 2002
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00007E1NB
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,544 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Iz, the "Hawaiian Superman," in unforgettable concert., October 16, 2004

By 

Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hot Hawaiian Nights (DVD)

Sitting before a lei-draped microphone, his ukulele looking tiny in his hands, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole performs before a small, intimate audience in a local TV studio in 1993, making his first video for Hot Hawaiian Nights. Iz is a young singer here, his mellow voice already winning huge audiences, and everyone is very relaxed. Since he does not have his own band yet, Roland Casimero (of the Brothers Casimero) and Mel Amina (Iz's cousin) lend support on guitar but stay in the background, with the hand-held camera focusing on Iz for most of the concert.

The songs he sings have become, by now, classics for Hawaiians and kama'aina alike, and all will be familiar to the listener. During "Ka Pua U'I," Iz invites a young hula dancer, wearing shorts and tee-shirt, to come up and perform with them, making this feel like a private concert among friends in your own living room. Casimero has a terrific solo in "Pupu O Ni'ihau," and the entire group has fun and jokes around in "Living on Easy." The gorgeous "Kaulana Kawaihae," a romantic and poignant ballad about the lost way of life of a Big Island village is a high point in this part of the video.

The second part of the video takes place two years later. By 1995 Iz has his own band, a group uniquely geared to showcasing Iz's voice and providing a broader musical interpretation of his music. With Analu Aina on bass, Mel Amina on six-string, Gaylord Holomalia on keyboard, and Mike Muldoon (whom Iz describes as "A Hawaiian trapped in a haole man's body") on percussion, Iz has a bigger sound, beginning this section with one of his most popular songs, "Living in a Sovereign Land." Other famous Iz songs include "Henehene Kou'Aka," a cheerful and fast song about a streetcar, "Ka Huila Wai," about a waterwheel, and one of Iz's most popular songs, "Tengoku Kara Kaminari," a song honoring three of Hawaii's sumo wrestlers, who have become famous in Japan.

The intimacy of the setting and the close-ups of Iz and his band give viewers an opportunity to be closer to Iz than anyone could ever get during a live concert. Mellow, relaxed, and very poignant, this is a video that the many friends of Iz will treasure. Mary Whipple

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Israel Live, April 13, 2003

By 

"ripa" (Lafayette, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Hawaiian Nights (DVD)

This is an excellent DVD, created from a live television concert by Iz and two members of his band. Although it is short (50 minutes), it's worth every penny!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hawaian Rainbows, January 18, 2007

By 

S. Davidow "Over the rainbow" (Henrietta,NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Hawaiian Nights (DVD)

The first time I heard somewhere over the rainbow, I had to find out who he was..My husband and I went to Hawaii in September and you could here any where you went. I was in a store and it came on. So I asked if they knew who it was..and they told me.. I bought the first CD. When we got home I looked him up. Well I loved it. He had a wonderful voice..I had to buy more.. I am thankful that Amazon has his DVD's and CD's. Worth every penny...