Stories

Ukulele virtuoso's Brittni Paiva, Kalei Gamiao, Andrew Molina, Kris Fuchigami, Corey Fujimoto

The Next Jake: 5 Up-And-Coming Hawaiian Artists to Watch

By Kenny Berkowitz They’re young, they’re phenomenally talented, and they’re dreaming of becoming the next Jake Shimabukuro. And why shouldn’t they? Meet the future stars of Hawaiian ukulele. Brittni Paiva Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii Covers: “Boogie Woogie Bossa Nova,” “Somewhere Over…

Jake Shimabukuro performing with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra

Byron Yasui Pens a Ukulele Tour de Force for Jake Shimabukuro

By Audrey Coleman Photography courtesy of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra It’s not that nobody has ever thought of writing a concerto for the ukulele. In 1999, the Wallingford (Connecticut) Symphony Orchestra commissioned uke player-composer Jim Beloff to write Uke Can’t Be Serious:…

Ukulele Star Taimane Gardner © Shaun Edward.jpg

Taimane Gardner: Reaching for the Stars

Ukulele virtuoso Taimane Gardner charts a new course with her first self-produced album, We Are Made of Stars, which showcases her singing and songwriting talents.

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Luthier Mark Roberts with Buffett's custom Coca-Cola ukulele

Coca-Cola Commissions One-of-a-Kind Ukulele for Warren Buffett

Portland-based luthier Mark Roberts, who builds custom ukuleles recognized for their tone and signature side sound ports, got quite a surprise in March when he received a message through his website regarding a new commission. It was from Coca-Cola’s advertising…

Ukulele players Gus & Fin

Punk Goes the Uke

By Elizabeth Robson / From the Winter 2014 issue of Ukulele Magazine For many people, the cheery ukulele might seem the antithesis of punk rock’s loud, angry attitude, but to a growing number of punkers in the United Kingdom, the…

Kala Introduces New Comfort Edge Tenors

Kala has added two new ukuleles to its already extensive line of 200 models. The Kala Comfort Edge Tenors are designed to allow a player’s forearm and wrist to rest comfortably on the edge of the uke while playing. The Comfort Edge comes in…

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Rod Harrington

Tampa Bay Ukulele Society

By Julie Garisto On a balmy Saturday afternoon in Largo, Florida, a southern suburb of Tampa, 40 people have gathered with their ukuleles at a palm tree dotted apartment complex inhabited mostly by retirees. Excitedly chattering like high-school kids in…

A 5-string rajao, made by Augusto Dias around 1896, with spruce top and koa back and sides

The Birth of the Ukulele

The belief that Hawaii lays sole claim to the ukulele is a widely held misconception. The earliest ukes only date back to the mid-1880s, and they weren’t invented by the Hawaiians.