Gods of Uke: ‘King’ Bennie Nawahi’s Lasting Legacy
"King" Bennie Nawahi was a true crossover artist on ukulele and other instruments, long before anyone thought of that label.
New Eddy Finn Cigar Box Uke
There’s a long tradition of upcycling old cigar boxes into musical instruments. Over the decades, many homegrown builders have taken to making ukuleles, guitars, or just about anything else for strings with these lovely leftovers. While this is mostly been…
Great Ukes: Lyon & Healy’s Unusual Bell and Shrine Ukes
From the Fall 2016 issue of Ukulele | STORY AND PHOTOS BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY When you think of ukuleles made on the American mainland during the “uke crazed” 1920s, brands such as Martin and Gibson are likely the first to…
Ukulele Sessions Presents Australian Ukulele Virtuoso Azo Bell
By Greg Olwell Before he came by our studio to play three songs for our “Ukulele Sessions Presents” video series, I’d been hearing a lot about Azo Bell. More than just buzz on a forum or YouTube chatter, some of today’s top…
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Watch 12-Year-Old Grace VanderWaal’s Finals Performance
By Greg Olwell For her finale performance on America’s Got Talent, the wildly popular Grace VanderWaal played “Clay,” onstage September 13. Like last week’s performance, the 12-year-old singer-songwriter from Suffern, New York was backed by a cellist, percussionist, and pianist. Watching…
What We Can’t Get Enough Of: Danielle Ate The Sandwich’s “We Were The Only Ones”
By Greg Olwell Today, we can’t get enough of “We Were the Only Ones,” a new video single from Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Known to her parents as Danielle Anderson, the Fort Collins, Colorado-based singer-songwriter just released her sixth album…
The Strum Shop in Roseville, California Stakes its Claim as California’s Ukulele Motherlode
This is the story of how in a strip mall in Northern California's Gold Country became the birthplace of the ukulele destination known as The Strum Shop.
Throwback Thursday with a Fleet-Fingered Bob Brozman Performance
By Greg Olwell For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we’re dialing it back to 2009 for a clip of late master of the ukulele, Bob Brozman at the Santa Cruz Ukulele Club. In this video, the fleet-fingered Brozman plays through the classic…
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12-Year-Old Star Heads To the Finals of ‘America’s Got Talent’
By Greg Olwell Thanks to another show-stopping performance, a 12-year-old singer-songwriter-ukulelelist heads to the finals of a popular talent show. With her Luna Uke Tattoo Concert and a small band backing her, Grace VanderWaal debuted a new song, “Light the…
NFL Rookie Brings Down the House with this John Legend Ukulele Cover
By Greg Olwell At 6’ 4” and 315 pounds, Nila Kasitati seems born to be an offensive lineman in the NFL. The 23-year-old rookie, who will be playing guard for Washington D.C.’s professional football team this season, recently picked up…