While there is much to mourn these days (loss of freedom, people we've lost to COVID-19, worried about our financial future) Google gave everyone a reason to both smile and cry some more with today's doodle. On what would have been Irael Kamakawiwoʻole's 61st birthday, Google shared a short animation celebrating Bruddah IZ (as he was affectionately called by locals) and the amazing mark he left on Hawaiian music. When I was on my honeymoon with my wife we stayed on the island of Kauai, and there were several nights I overlooked the ocean while listening to his music (my favorite album of his being "N Dis Life"). While you can certainly enjoy his music anywhere, only by listening to it on the Hawaiian islands themselves did it sink in how perfect his music and voice were for the Hawaiian culture, and listening to his voice while overlooking the beeches during a sunset evoked feelings in my soul that my feeble attempts at writing will never be able to do justice.
Known as 'The Voice of Hawaii,' Irael Kamakawiwoʻole left behind a legacy that is irreplaceable. No one will ever be able to do what he did, and his presence on Earth is proof that God does exist and He puts people exactly where they need to be! He would gain worldwide fame for his unique renditions of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World." The former is what is used in the video above, however ironically he didn't think much of the song. It was a last minute addition to an album he was working on (and he rarely sung it at concerts). Yet that was the song that would bring him the kind of fame he never could have imagined. Sadly, he struggled for years with obesity, and died at the young age of 38. His music lives on though, and Google has created a very admirable short that manages to encompass what was so great about his music!
Happy Birthday Irael Kamakawiwoʻole!
Your Comic Book Guy - Kevin
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