The ukulele is a Hawaiian instrument with a really beautiful sound. One problem that ukulele players around the world encounter is that the ukulele is not an instrument that is taken seriously by a lot of people. I’m not sure how it got this reputation but is considered a novelty instrument. That means a lot of people think of it as more of a toy than an instrument.
Lately though, a lot of progress has been made in showing just how versatile and legitimate the ukulele is as an instrument.
One person who has done a lot of work to help the ukulele’s reputation is a person by the name of Jake Shimabukuro. Jake not only plays his ukulele beautifully, but also reaches out to schools that have ukulele programs. One of the most important things that Jake has done is that he understands how important it is to stick up for the ukulele as an instrument and he does everything that he can to show what a wonderful instrument it is.
Check out this video of Jake playing Hallelujah.
Jake’s website is at jakeshimabukuro.com. Check it out for some samples of Jake’s music and some videos of him playing and teaching. I think you’ll enjoy it.
A new movie does a good job of illustrating the growing movement that is going on all over the world around the ukulele. It is called “Mighty Uke” and if it can’t convince you of the power of the ukulele, nothing will. Check out the website for this movie at mightyukemovie.com. It’s really a wonderful movie and I recommend it highly.