Even as radio cut into sheet music sales, popular music publishers didn’t hesitate to embrace one of radio’s biggest beneficiaries to prop up their earnings.

“If you have a light, don’t hide it under a bushel basket—share it,” says Howlett. “If you know something, share it with somebody else.”

“There was something quietly special about it, too: the ukulele, born of the Madeiran braguinha, sharing the stage once more with the very instruments it descends from.”

A serious musician who doesn’t take himself too seriously, and sets the bar high while keeping the instrument accessible.

As the world hurtled through archaeological discoveries, global artistic exchange, aviation milestones, Hollywood spectacles, and romanticized cultural fantasies, ukulele makers translated these influences into some of the most imaginative and visually striking instruments ever produced.

International ukulele festivals are spectacular, wacky, and mesmerizing—and the value of a ukefest experience is immeasurable.