33rd Annual Ukulele Festival This Weekend

Roy Sakuma's annual Ukulele Festival is this Sunday, July 27th at the Kapiolani Bandstand in Waikiki. Check out this line-up:

Ohta-San, Ernie Cruz, Jr., Raiatea Helm, Ledward Kaapana, Frank DeLima, Troy Fernandez, Danny Kaleikini - Emcee, Yuji Igarashi (Japan), Brittni Paiva (Hilo), Hiram Bell (CA), Keale Ohana, George Matsushita (Japan), Bill Tapia (California), Yasuhiko Ariga (Japan), Kaoru Kohnoike (Japan), Roy Sakuma 800-Piece Ukulele Band.

Here's a link to a related story in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Strangely enough, this year it's the "Starbucks" Ukulele Festival. Now if Starbucks would just sell Dale Webb's cool Flea uke and play ukulele music... Link Discuss

Jake of the North?

A great article about James Hill in advance of tonight's performance in Waikiki:

"James Hill is being called "the Canadian Jake Shimabukuro." It seems only natural to make that comparison. Both Hill and Shimabukuro and James Hill are in their 20s, with a keen interest in pushing the envelope as ukulele virtuosos."

Link Discuss

Get on the Plane. NOW!

Ohmygod. Krakatoa's explosion is going to look like a burp compared to what is going to happen tomorrow (Friday, July 11, 2003) at the Sheraton Waikiki. Get this: Jake Shimabukuro, James Hill, Kenny Boy DeLima (and swell kid, Kapena), Herb Ohta, Jr., Paul Luongo AND the FREAKIN' Langley Ukulele Ensemble. If some dormant volcano on Oahu doesn't erupt tomorrow, then I'm switching to dulcimer. Man, where are my frequent flyer records...? Link Discuss