<P> The Makaha Sons of Niʻihau recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released four more albums, including Kahea O Keale, Keala, Makaha Sons of Niʻihau and Mahalo Ke Akua . In 1982, Kamakawiwoʻole's brother, Skippy, died at age 28 of a heart attack related to obesity . In that same year, Kamakawiwoʻole married his childhood sweetheart Marlene . Soon after, they had a daughter whom they named Ceslieanne "Wehi" (born in c. 1983). </P> <P> The group became Hawaii's most popular contemporary traditional group with breakout albums 1984's Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha and its follow - up, 1986's Hoʻola . Kamakawiwoʻole's last recorded album with the group was 1991's Hoʻoluana . It remains the group's top - selling CD . </P> <P> In 1990, Kamakawiwoʻole released his first solo album Ka ʻAnoʻi, which won awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). Facing Future was released in 1993 by The Mountain Apple Company . It featured his most popular song, the medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World", along with "Hawaiʻi 78", "White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi", "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man", and "Kaulana Kawaihae". The decision to include a cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow was said to be a last - minute decision by his producer Jon de Mello and him . Facing Future debuted at #25 on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalogue chart . On October 26, 2005, Facing Future became Hawaiʻi's first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States, according to figures furnished by the Recording Industry Association of America . On July 21, 2006, BBC Radio 1 announced that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World (True Dreams)" would be released as a single in America . </P> <P> In 1994, Kamakawiwoʻole was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). </P>

Who is the hawaiian that sings somewhere over the rainbow