Kapiolani Community College
Horizons 2001

by Cole Jackson

The ukulele is part of our culture and is unique to our upbringing in Hawai’i. It can be heard on almost any radio station and seen and talked about in all our forms of media. Hawaiian culture would not be the same without the ukelele. I have grown up around the ukelele, and enjoy playing it. My mom is a avid ukulele player, and I often reminisce when hearing songs that she played while I was growing up.

My key informants were Chris Kamaka, foreman of Kamaka Hawai’i Inc.; Keali Alapai, his assistant; and Ted Nakama, an employee of Easy Music Center. He is an avid ukelele player who is knowledgeable about the topic. My Big Island neighbor, Pat Bento, whose hobby is woodworking, and more recently, ukeleles, provided information on the best woods used for making the ukelele. Although many might think that the ukulele was invented by the Hawaiians, it was actually the Portuguese that introduced the ukelele to Hawai’i. It was on the afternoon of August 23, 1879, when the ship Ravenscrag arrived in Honolulu. On the ship were 419 Portuguese immigrants from the island of Madeira, contracted to work in the sugar cane fields. The immigrants aboard this ship had traveled for four months over 15,000 miles. They were very excited to finally be in Hawai’i, and so upon their arrival they began to celebrate. A man aboard the ship by the name of Joao Fernandes borrowed his friend’s braguinha (the Portuguese name for the instrument) and began playing folk songs. The Hawaiians were very impressed by the quickness and speed of his fingers as they jumped across the fingerboard. They called the instrument a “ukulele” which translates into English as “jumping flea” (Bounty Music).

That is only one of the stories of how the instrument got its name, but its seems to be the most favored and popular one. The Hawaiian people took a liking to the instrument and within 10 years it was Hawaii’s most popular instrument. Its popularity can be credited to Fernandes, who was said to have spent much of his time walking around Honolulu strumming his ukulele. The Hawaiian people were familiar with other stringed instruments like the guitar, but took a strong liking to the ukulele because it was easy to play and very portable. King David Kalakaua became a avid player of it. It also said that Queen Emma, Queen Lili’uokalani, Prince Leleiohoku, and Princess Likelike played the instrument. With all this royal involvement in the instrument, it was inevitable that the ukulele would be accepted by the people. From taro farmers to the King and Queen, the ukulele reached all Hawaiian classes. Soon there began to be a demand for them. Not everyone could make a ukulele. Of the people who came on the Ravenscrag, three men Ñ Augusto Dias, Jose do Espirito Santo, and Manuel Nunes Ñ were able to make ukeleles. In 1884 Dias opened up a small shop on King Street that specialized in repairing musical instruments, especially guitars and ukuleles. Four years later, Santos and Nunes opened up shops. Of the three, Nunes seems to have been the most successful. He continued making ukuleles well into the 1930s (Bounty Music).

Making ukuleles then was a painstaking process, requiring long hours because everything was made completely by hand. In 1910 production increased because of more modern equipment. The cost of a ukulele at this time was somewhere around three to five dollars which doesn’t seem like much until one considers the fact that the average wage for a common person in this time was five dollars a month. Many people could not afford ukeleles so they improvised, making them out of coconut shells or cigar boxes. In Hawai’i in the 1920s, at the height of the ukulele boom, there were approximately fifteen ukulele manufacturers, including Kumalae, Nunes, and Kamaka. Predictably, the boom eventually tapered off and all of these companies went out of business, except for Kamaka Hawai’i.

The Kamaka Ukelele
It was in 1916 that a apprentice to Manuel Nunes named Samuel Kaiaili’i Kamaka decided to go off on his own and start his own business, the Kamaka Ukelele and Guitar Works, in the basement of his Kaimuki house. There he turned out about a dozen ukuleles per week and sold them for five dollars a piece. Within ten years Kamaka was the only ukulele company still in business. One thing that made it possible for Sam and his company to outlast his competitors was his development of his pineapple-shaped ukulele. He made this creation in 1916 with the idea of making a smaller ukulele with a warmer, fuller sound. It also happened to be a lot easier to make, because the sides didn’t have to be bent. These old models tend to be collectable items, especially the ones that were painted like pineapples. Today Kamaka Hawai’i, Inc. produces about 3,000 instruments per year; and according to Chris Kamaka, they have a backlog for twelve months. They export ukuleles to the U.S. mainland, Japan, Canada, Europe, and the South Pacific. The ukeleles are highly prized, and Kamaka is considered to be the premiere ukulele manufacturer .

One thing that makes the company unique is that more than half of the employees are deaf. But it turns out that this is not a handicap when making musical instruments. These ukulele makers are able to use their heightened sense of touch to determine the exact thickness that the koa wood should be, by thumping the wood and feeling the vibrations with their fingers (Kamaka). There are many other companies that are in the ukulele production these days. They, are often started by someone who began making ukuleles for him/herself and turned that passion into a business. Many of these companies offer unique and exquisite ukuleles. Many of them offer quality ukuleles, but none are as well known as the Kamaka Ukulele.

Chris also mentioned that nowadays many ukulele players are experimenting with making ukuleles themselves. High school students in wood shops are a good example. They make their own and then get better and better and soon branch out and start selling some of their ukuleles. Then they often make it into a small part-time business. Making ukuleles at home can be a good learning experience, but can also be a painstaking process because of lack of access to the tools that the factories have. Making one at home can take months, while at the factory, Kamaka workers take about five to ten days to make a batch of ukuleles, definitely more efficient.

The structure of the ukulele
While the ukelele looks like just a smaller version of a guitar, there are several differences that separate the ukulele from the guitar and other stringed instruments. First of all, the body of the ukelele is usually made with koa wood. According to Chris, koa is the best because it’s a very workable wood; it is bendable and pliable. The process of making a ukulele involves bending and shaping the wood, and a hard brittle wood would just not do. Spruce or mahogany can be used, but koa wood also has a nice finished look, which was evident when I saw some of the most prized and expensive koa ukuleles at the Kamaka factory. For the neck of the ukulele, many types of wood can be used because this part of the ukulele requires less bending than the body. Kamaka usually uses koa for the neck, but often experiments and uses other woods. The fingers come into contact with the fingerboard a lot, so this part often gets worn down faster than the rest of the ukulele. A wood that is durable and has a nice look is chosen because this part of the ukulele is often visible when playing (Bento). Kamaka uses rosewood because it fills both of these requirements at once.

The strings of the ukulele are often made of nylon, as with many stringed instruments. Ukuleles can be made with steel strings also, or a combination of the two. Kamaka produces a ukulele which they call the Tiple. It is a ten-string, all-steel string ukulele. The sound of this ukulele is very distinct from the usual ukulele sound. It is a lot fuller and lower, more like the guitar. Most of their designs are made with nylon strings.

Types of ukeleles
There are many different types of ukuleles out there. Many companies experiment with new designs Ñ different shapes and sizes, different materials, trying to reach that perfect sound. But in general, the ukulele can be divided into four major categories, which are determined by size. They are the standard ukulele, or the Soprano. The Soprano is the smallest of the four. Its entire body measure is usually 21 inches in length. It usually has four, nylon strings. Its price range can go from $15 for a ABC store generic model, to easily $1,000 or more for a Kamaka model. Its main distinction is its smaller size when compared to the other four. The second model is the Concert or Alto model ukulele. It is a little bigger in size when compared to the Soprano model. Its entire body length measures 23 1/4 inches from top to bottom. It sounds almost identical to the Soprano, but in fact, it has a slightly fuller sound. It is the second smallest of the four types, and it s price range can vary also. The Tenor is a little bigger than the Alto, and its entire body length measures at 26 1/4 inches. According to Chris, it is the most popular model, possibly because of its versatility. The Tenor is the ukulele model that is often made in four, six, and eight string models. It is the second biggest of the four models. The sound of the Tenor is definitely a fuller and preferred sound by many. Kamaka gets the most orders for custom designed Tenors. Kamaka Tenors sell from anywhere from $380 for a standard Kamaka model, to a couple of thousand dollars for a custom-ordered Tenor model.

The Baritone is the biggest, and deepest and fullest sounding of the four. Its four strings are the bottom four of a guitar and they are tuned the same. It is expensive and sometimes harder to find.

Caring for your ukelele
Buying and owning a ukulele is one thing. Taking care off it another. Chris provided some important tips on taking care of your ukulele and prolonging its beauty and performance: Always try to keep the ukulele in room temperatures; do not expose it to any extremes. Being in the hot sun for a prolonged period can often cause the ukulele to become warped. It should be wiped down after every use with a clean rag. Oils from your hands and the things you touch can sometimes be bad for the ukulele. You should also leave it in a safe area where nobody can step on it or wreck it. Chris said that I would be surprised at how many ukuleles they have to fix because of simple, stupid mistakes like leaving it in vulnerable areas.

Hawaii’s ukelele stars
Hawaii has had a long history of famous and successful ukulele players. They often become successful artist producing hits. One of the earliest successful ukulele players in Hawaii was Ernest Ka’ai. He was an important figure in the Hawaiian music world in the quarter of this century. He was a successful and very talented violin, guitar and steel guitar player. At one time he had as many as twelve bands. He helped to promote the ukulele and Hawaiian music on the mainland. He is credited in making the ukulele a featured part of Hawaiian groups. He also published the first ukulele instruction book titled, The Ukulele, A Hawaiian Guitar, in 1916. Another famous ukulele player that helped to establish the ukulele as Hawaii’s premiere instrument was “King” Benny Nawahi. He was born on July 3, 1899. By the age of twenty he was a full-time player of the ukulele, steel guitar, and mandolin. He ended up going to the mainland where he amazed audiences by playing with one hand. He became blind in 1935, but that did not stop him. Another famous artist, John Kamealoha Almeida, blind from the age of ten, composed over three hundred songs in his life. He became known as the “Dean of Hawaiian Music.” He composed famous songs like “Green Rose Hula,” “Roselani Blossoms,” and perhaps his most famous, “Pua Tuberose.” Almeida can be credited for launching the careers of other greats like Genoa Keawe, Julia Nui, Joe Keawe, and Alvin Issacs.

In 1944, a small boy went down to the KGMB studios in downtown Honolulu to play his ukulele, for the radio station’s “Amateur Hour.” He took home the first place prize. He again went back the next week and won the first prize once again. He went home a third time and they sent him home. They said that he was just too good and it wasn’t giving the others a fair chance. The boy’s name was Herb Ohta, he later became known as Ohtasan. He later met a older and famous ukulele player named Eddie Kamae, who taught Ohtasan some difficult techniques and told him to practice hard. Now, 50 years later, OhtaSan has 30 something albums, and is recognized as one of the world’s top ukulele players.

There are also many newer, very younger players. One who is very successful and is recognized as one of the best ukulele players in the world is Jake Shimbakuro, of the former band called Pure Heart. Jake, who is only 23, was also a KCC student. He has won many awards for his superb playing techniques.He is also known for experimenting with his ukulele playing often playing it like a electric guitar and using many electrical techniques to achieve new sounds.

There are various styles of playing the ukulele that have developed here in Hawai’i. There is the older, traditional style of playing, which is still popular today. There is also the Lounge feeling sound, the kind of sound heard in a lot of old Hawai’i movies. There also is a classical sound which is very interesting to hear and very complicated and intricate to play.The Hula type of sound, according to Chris, is distinguished by a specific certain kind of strum, and is often sound played along with many hula songs. There is the New Age style, which is extremely popular today, especially with the younger generations. This sound can be described as a Reggae, Jawaiian sound. It’s heard with popular bands like ThreePlus and Hoonua. This style is often heard on popular Hawaiian radio stations.

With the new age of technology there are many ways ukulele players have found to improve their sound and find new sounds for the ukulele. One technique is electric ukuleles. By using a electrical hookups, players can use foot pedals and mixers to produce never before imagined sounds on the ukuleles. I was at a party in Kona, on the Big Island, where a punk band was playing their set. They played their songs and then took a halfhour break before continuing. One of my friends had his electrical plugin ukulele in his car. He told me “wait here.” I did, and when he came back he had his ukulele. He knew the guitar player of the band, and asked him if he could plug his ukulele in. He did and plugged it through the distortion foot pedal and into the amp. He gave his ukulele a strum and everyone at the party got a sample of the most raging ukulele they’d ever heard. The sound was surprisingly clear, and we were all impressed. Everyone cheered my friend on while he played a punk, distorted version of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.”

All in all the ukulele is a vital part of our Hawaiian culture. It’s part of our history as a state and as a people. Whenever people from the Mainland think of Hawai’i, they think of tropical weather, palm trees, surf, and sun. The ukulele fits right in there.The ukulele brings music to Hawaiian families and music brings people together. Times of going to the beach, singing, and playing songs on the ukulele is something that most families can relate to. I can. It was part of our daily routine on the Big Island. We would go to a certain beach every Sunday and meet a lot of other families there. We’d pot luck together, surf together, and make music together. The uncles would play the ukulele, someone would play the bass bucket, and I would sometimes play the guitar. These things are part of my culture and part of me. Hawai’i without the ukulele would be like Scotland without its bagpipes.

Works Cited
The Bounty Music Hawaii Ukelele Ukelele Guide. .
Bento, Pat. Personal Interview. November, 2000.
Kamaka, Chris. Kamaka Hawaii, Inc. Personal Interview. November, 2000.