Plastic Fantastic: How Mario Maccaferri Revolutionized the Uke Scene
Mario Maccaferri created millions of instrument-quality plastic ukuleles and introduced a generation of baby boomers—including me—to the joys of making music.
Stories
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:…
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.
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…
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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…
Gods of Uke: Remembering ‘Duke of Uke’ Bill Tapia, Jazz Ukulele Pioneer
Jazz ukulele pioneer Bill Tapia's career spanned 9 decades and put him at the center of both the 1920s ukulele explosion and, more recently, the uke revival.
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…
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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.
Ukulele chanteuses the Mersey Belles channel a retro vibe in pursuit of modern-day fun
By Amber von Nagel This may be the digital age, but the Liverpool ukulele duo the Mersey Belles still have one foot firmly planted in the stylish past. In fact, connecting with the two women—Danielle “Nancy” Perkins and Lindsey “Pearl” Stainthorpe—via…