The Joyful Instrument That Became the Sound of Hawai'i
About this episode
The episode explores the history and cultural significance of the ukulele in Hawai'i, featuring insights from prominent musicians and craftsmen.
It started as an abandoned ukulele on a wall. Afar’s Aislyn Greene hadn’t touched it in two years — but that idle instrument sent her down a rabbit hole into one of the most joyful origin stories in music. The ukulele arrived in Hawai'i on a Portuguese immigrant ship in 1878, got a royal endorsement from a king and queen, fell into obscurity, and then took over the world. Along the way, a family of master craftsmen has been hand-finishing every instrument for over a century, and one of the greatest string players alive still can’t believe people underestimate it. Meet today's guests Roy Sakuma is a musician, educator, and founder of Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios, Hawaii’s most famous ukulele school with four locations. In 1971, he launched the Ukulele Festival Hawai'i, now the state’s top summer event, and has spent 50 years making the case that the ukulele is no toy. Chris Kamaka is the third-generation owner of Kamaka Ukulele, the oldest continuous ukulele manufacturer in the world, founded in Honolulu in 1916. Each of the 1,000–1,500 ukuleles they produce annually is hand-played by Chris before it leaves the shop. Jake Shimabukuro is a virtuoso musician widely regarded as the…
People in this episode
Host: Aislyn Greene
Guests: Roy Sakuma, Chris Kamaka, Jake Shimabukuro
Topics covered
- ukulele
- Hawaiian music
- cultural history
- craftsmanship
- musical instruments
Keywords
- ukulele
- Hawai'i
- Roy Sakuma
- Chris Kamaka
- Jake Shimabukuro
- music history
- craftsmanship
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios, Kamaka Ukulele, Mick Fleetwood
Places: Hawai'i, Honolulu
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