There is no doubt that “Jumpin’ Jim” Beloff is big reason why many of us are playing ukulele today. Through his books, DVDs, and workshops, he has directly and indirectly reached many people who may otherwise never have picked up…
By Aaron Keim This July our duo, The Quiet American, was invited to perform and teach at the Geraldine Ukulele Festival in Geraldine, New Zealand. Our hosts, Fi and Hugh McCafferty, also offered to help us find some other events…
By Sandor Nagyszalanczy I’ve played in rock n’ roll bands since I was 13 years old, typically serving as lead singer and rhythm guitar player. But in the mid/late 1990s, I met a couple of talented musicians who were as…
by Jim D’Ville // Photos by Steve Szilagyi It was a stroke of genius, akin to first introducing peanut butter to jelly—a ukulele and harmonica camp! And, the relationship between these two diminutive instruments seems to be working, as nearly…
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by Jim D’Ville // Photos by Vic Hamm In a mere three years, the Kamloops Ukulele Festival has emerged as a premiere ukulele retreat north of the U.S. border. The event’s third annual incarnation happened at the Sorrento Retreat Center…
By Sandor Nagyszalanczy Since this is my first installment for this new online feature, I thought it appropriate to tell the story of my very first ukulele. In 1956, when I was just two-and-a-half years old, my mother, father and I…
Words by Jim D’Ville // Photos by author unless noted When the glaciers from the last Ice Age ceased their advance in south central Indiana some 12,000 years ago, the geologic upheaval created the magnificent sylvan paradise that is now…
Two of this year’s finest ukulele-centered albums won awards at the 41st annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards. The awards are given by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts and the ceremony was held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu,…
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Taimane and her band stopped by the Ukulele studio for an exclusive performance while on a recent warm-up tour ahead of the June 5 release of her latest album, Elemental. Joined by guitarist Jazzy Jazz and percussionist Jonathan Heraux on cajon (and forks), Taimane…
Text by Jim D’Ville //Photos: Courtesy of West Coast Ukulele Retreat If you were going to this year’s West Coast Ukulele Retreat, you were encouraged to wear flowers in your hair as an homage to 1967 and the Summer of…