"Over the Rainbow"

[Kind of Blue]

"Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: The Voice Of Hawaii"

MONTAGNE: Del Beazley is a musician and childhood friend of Israel.

Mr. BEAZLEY: Mana is like an energy that you get. We believe we get ours from all of the elements first, yeah. Your Earth, your sky, your ocean, your God, and all that is inside of us. And when we open our mouth to either speak, to sing or to play, that's what we let out.

Mr. KAMAKAWIWO'OLE: I was scared when I lost my mother, my father, my brother, my sister. I guess this is going to sound kind of weird: I'm not scared for myself for dying. Because we Hawaiians, we live in both worlds. When our time come, don't cry for me ‘cause don't cry for me.

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/06/131812500/israel-kamakawiwo-ole-the-voice-of-hawaii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

[japple]

1. I am so happy this beautiful man made the NPR's 50 Greatest

Voices. I heard part of the story this a.m., but will listen from start to finish. His music is sweet, soulful and heartachingly beautiful. I have one of his CDs and it is so uplifting. He soars with the angels.

[Kind of Blue]

2. Yeah, really! I was so pleasantly surprised

they picked Israel. I loved how Spirit hit him with this version of the song and in his sweet way convinced the studio to let him in the middle of the night to record - and they didn't regret it.

NPR certainly helped make sure that he's never forgotten.

[I Have A Dream]

3. I love this man. What an amazingly gentle spirit.

This is one of my favorite recordings. He sings this so beautifully. :cry:

[Kind of Blue]

4. Me too, Dream. Some people pass

through like a comet and leave us with their joy and wonder. :hug:

[Silver Gaia]

5. I love Iz, too!

What a beautiful gentle spirit. I used "Over the Rainbow" in my brother's memorial service several years ago. It was so beautifully appropriate. My parents had never heard his version of that song before, and loved it so much that I left my CD with them.