Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - MP3 instrumental karaoke

The late Hawaiian musician and sovereignty activist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was christened "The Voice of Hawaii" by NPR in 2010 with good reason: his music deeply touched the hearts and minds of his beloved community. Also making huge waves globally, Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kəˌmɐkəˌvivoˈʔole]; meaning 'the fearless eye, the bold face,' released an acoustic medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World," which will forever be immortalized in music history and film, having appeared on 50 First Dates, Fred Claus and on TV shows including ER and Scrubs. The song was featured on his Facing Future album of 1993, which has become the best-selling album by a Hawaiian artist. On June 26, 1997 Israel Kamakawiwo'ole died from respiratory failure at the age of 38 after suffering from obesity throughout his life. In 2021, the "Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" medley was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."