The History and Legacy of Kamaka’s Iconic Pineapple Ukuleles
Sometime around 1927 Kamaka experimented with a new body shape. Not only did these pineapple ukes have distinctive looks, they had a fuller, more resonant sound.
Kamaka
Remembering Influential Ukulele Maker Samuel Kamaka, Jr.
The ukulele world lost a true giant and a great friend when Samuel Kamaka, Jr. passed away on March 15, 2022, at the age of 99, just three months shy of his 100th birthday.
Why I Uke: Herb Ohta Jr. on His Playing Style and Musical Inspirations
Herb Ohta Jr. is a sought-after Na Hoku Hanohano award-winner, acclaimed for his fresh interpretations of Hawaiian songs and engaging, melodic compositions.
Watch Jake Shimabukuro and Chris Kamaka Play “Hi’ilawe”
By Greg Olwell We just can’t resist this outtake from the PBS series Craft in America, which shows ukulele hero Jake Shimaburkuro playing one of the most beautiful songs ever to come from Hawaii, “Hi’ilawe,” with Chris Kamaka and Chris Kamaka Jr.…
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Kamaka Hits 100: Five Generations of World-Class Ukuleles
ABOVE: Fred Kamaka Sr. and the Kamaka 100-anniversary headstock. (Fred Kamaka photo by Christopher Phaneuf.) From the Summer 2016 Issue | BY AUDREY COLEMAN The Anaheim Hilton’s California Ballroom conveyed a glitz that at first seemed removed from the art and craft…
Ukulele Festival of Northern California Celebrates Polynesian Culture and 100 Years of Kamaka
By Greg Olwell This past weekend marked the 22nd annual Ukulele Festival of Northern California. The event is the longest-running ukulele festival on the mainland and is not just a great place to hear, see, and play many ukuleles—it’s a…
The Mainland’s Longest-Running Ukulele Festival Returns This Weekend
By Greg Olwell The longest running ukulele festival on the mainland takes place this weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 22nd annual Ukulele Festival of Northern California is scheduled for Sunday, April 24 at Chabot College in…
Ukulele Sessions NAMM 2016: Kalei Gamiao
Kalei Gamiao stopped by the Ukulele booth at NAMM 2016 to perform “Separate Ways” on his Kamaka tenor ukulele. Watch the deft fingerpicker play “Separate Ways” in advance of his world tour with Taimane Gardner. Read more about Kalei in Ukulele‘s Fall 2015 issue.
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#TBT Kicking Off Kamaka’s Centennial
By Greg Olwell For this week’s throwback Thursday, we want to take the opportunity to celebrate one of the most important ukulele makers ever. This year marks the 100th anniversary since Samuel Kaialiilii Kamaka began building ukuleles in his one-man shop…
Exploring Oahu With Eddie Kamae and Other Ukulele Idols
An interview with the ukulele virtuoso and founding member of Sons of Hawaii, leading force in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, and octogenarian who traveled remote and forgotten terrain to revive his culture.