70 Comments

One of my favorites! I lived on Oahu for two and a half years and IZ was Hawaii❤️

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Lovely, totally enjoyable. Thank you so much for exposing me to new and wonderful things‼️ GOD bless.

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Still singing this song.....

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Israel's rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is my alarm clock each day; it never gets old.

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So beautiful ❣️Thank the powers that be for recordings❣️

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Iz was very, very talented. And gone way too soon. Such a beautiful person.

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Beautiful. Thank you

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From there to “Over the Rainbow”. Thank you.

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As a child I was blessed to spend a couple of years in Hawai'i. My dad was stationed there after WWII. We moved back to the suburbs on the mainland but I was forever (blessedly) changed. What a beautiful song by a pure soul. Thanks you two!

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It reminds me, once again, that no matter our circumstances we can bring beauty, joy, love to this world.

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I had forgotten how beautiful his voice was. Made me cry. 😢 Thank you.

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Jan 30, 2022Liked by Elliot Kirschner

Such a beautiful song! Sitting in frozen Ohio with the fireplace going - this is just what I needed to warm my soul. Thank you.

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A wonderful voice from a beautiful soul. Brought a smile and a tear.

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Imagine my delight to see that this Saturday's Smile comes from a sweet soul named IZ. Brudda IZ made himself known to me as the Pandemic began, as we were all thrown into lockdown, some laid off, some just simply let go and others like me left in a confusing limbo.

It's bitterly cold in winter here where I live and a day just like today when I watched Smithsonian's Aerial America Season 1 Episode 2, Hawaii. Someplace I briefly landed on during a "hop" on a C141 Starlifter Cargo Plane on a Confidential mission while serving in the USAF. We landed at Hickam AFB, stayed all of 35 minutes, never disembarking long enough to load a small radar trailer, refuel and were up and away as I saw beautiful Hawaii disappear through a very small aircraft window.

Ever since I always wanted to go back FOR REAL. I won't go into life, marriage, children, divorce, loss of both parents, but jump ahead to a cold winter day much like this one. It was -27° here last week and is a balmy 22° here today, still cold enough not to want to take a run or even a walk.

I found Aerial America and here was the 50th State's episode. Of course it was wonderful. I had been watching AA on streaming TV but not in order of Season or Episode. I watched whichever episode was streaming live.

The sights and history during the episode were wonderful and enlightening like any AA episode typically is, but for the fact that I wanted so much to return to Hawaii for a real vacation. Yet here at the end of this glorious episode came a BEAUTIFUL VOICE, one straight from heaven I felt, and I didn't know how accurate I would be on learning that Israel Kamakawiwo'ole the singer of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow" was in fact gone from this world physically, leaving a heavenly presence to whoever would hear his voice via recorded music and video.

I read as much as I could find, and got myself a Brudda IZ vintage tee shirt. I downloaded his music and it helped me through this hell called a Pandemic. His sweet and STEADY voice pushed me past the people not intuitive enough to get a simple vaccine and infect others. His soothing rendition of White Sandy Beach helped me try to remain calmer when I needed to leave my house, masked up & often gloved up. I made sure I had my iPhone with IZ loaded up as I was very scared considering I live in a hostile state, people dying for their freedom not to protect themselves & others from a deadly flu.

It may sound campy to say some pieces of music helped me through, but they did along with thoughts of IZ and how he navigated his life and gave himself to us. If you haven't heard him, of course other than this piece sharing "White Sandy Beach", find "Rainbow", listen alone or share with someone you love. It is so moving and sweet. His pronunciation of "Chimney Tops" (up above the chi-ma-nee-tops) makes me smile so easily and calmly. I cannot pull more words out of my psyche to measure up to IZ's sheer depth of happiness. I shared it with my husband who was also coming into the Pandemic as a 28 yr worker with his place of business shuttering their doors forever.

It is so true that we don't know who we've got until they're gone. If only all the masses could see and feel this?

Thank you again Mr. Rather, for delighting me during another AMAZING SMILE FOR A SATURDAY! I truly love it when "Smile" includes & focuses on MUSIC! Hoping I get this right:

He kanaka kupaianaha 'oe .

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Smile followed by tears! Plant them small ,let them grow ! so beautiful .

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Beautiful! 💖❤ Thank you!

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