The ladies of the Frederick Douglass Community Center Ukulele Club line up with their ukuleles for a group portrait around 1928. The Frederick Douglass Community Association opened in 1919 to provide social and recreational opportunities for the African-American youth of Toledo.
Thursday, July 03, 2025
Ladies of the Frederick Douglass Community Center
Friday, June 27, 2025
Ben Smith and His Uke
Friday, June 20, 2025
Ernest Kaai's Hawaiian Troubadours in New Zealand, 1927
A night in Honolulu". Town Hall, Greytown. Tuesday November 22 [1927]
The troupe appears to have visited the Wellington area in November 1927. The Ephemera collection also contains a programme for a performance at Wellington in April 1925, but this postcard is 1927, based on a perpetual calendar."
Sunday, February 02, 2025
Aloha, Bonanza Ukuleles
Luthier Pete Mai has announced that he'll be shuttering Bonanza Ukuleles. Some stock remains for sale, but no new orders are being taken.
Snip:
As we reach the ten-year milestone with Bonanza Ukuleles, we find ourselves reflecting on a decade filled with creativity, friendship, and unforgettable memories. It is with a mixture of gratitude and wistfulness that we announce the conclusion of our journey.
Over the past ten years, we have had the privilege of building not just instruments, but also a community of passionate ukulele enthusiasts. Your unwavering support and enthusiasm have been the cornerstone of our success, and we are deeply thankful for each and every one of you.
A special note of thanks goes to Pete McCarty, whose early encouragement provided the spark that ignited our journey. Pete was not only our first customer but has remained a stalwart supporter thr"oughout the years. It is fitting that our final build will be for him, closing this chapter as it began—with Pete.
We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to Barry Maz and Got A Ukulele for their honest and insightful reviews. Barry’s work has helped us gain a loyal following and has been instrumental in spreading the word about Bonanza Ukuleles. Thank you for your dedication and support.
During our time, we have crafted over 1150 instruments, each one a labor of love and dedication. Our ukuleles have found homes in China, Australia, Europe, the United States, and Canada, connecting us with a global family of musicians and aficionados. Your love for our instruments has inspired us every step of the way.
As we say goodbye, we do so with a deep sense of fulfillment and gratitude. The friendships we have made and the memories we have forged will remain with us forever. Thank you for being a part of our journey and for allowing us to be a part of yours.
We will be keeping the website open for a couple of weeks to sell off our remaining inventory.
I have a few orders left to complete, but we won’t be taking any new orders.
With heartfelt thanks and warmest wishes,
The Bonanza Ukuleles Team
Shelley, Pete , and Tony Mai
Sunday, October 20, 2024
The Purple Book is Almost Here!
It's PURPLE!We may have contributed a few song suggestions ourself
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Feng E Takes LA
Kid ukulele YouTube prodigy Feng E recently appeared at the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival. Now 17, here's a brief interview and performance on KCAL.
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Gary Zimnicki Builds a Uke
Detroit-area luthier Gary Zimnicki is well known for his guitars, but he builds sweet 'ukuleles, too.
(I'm the proud steward of a Zimnicki Reclaimed Wood soprano!)
Gary recently wrote to say that he's started a project of posting build videos on YouTube. This is the first in the series. We'll update you with new ones as they're posted. Or you can just follow his YouTube channel.
Here's Gary's website: Link
Monday, August 19, 2024
Happy Uke Week!
This Friday, August 23rd, 2024, marks the 145th anniversary of the 'ukulele's "arrival" in Hawai'i in 1879 aboard the Ravenscrag.
To celebrate, our good friend and mentor, James Hill, has several exciting things planned. Surf on over to Uketropolis for complete details, but here are some highlights:
- 20% off, site-wide at Uketropolis. Check out James' many online courses, from The 'Ukulele Way to the JHUI Teacher's program
- 25% off merch at 1879 Apparel
- Song premieres
- Online interviews
- A great big toast to the 'ukulele on Friday, the 23rd.
Monday, July 01, 2024
Aloha, Sonja Christopher
She was a lovely spirit, and we'll miss her.
Sunday, May 05, 2024
Ditson Ukuleles by Martin
The ukuleles made by Martin for the Oliver Ditson Co. Music Store in Boston are among the most collectible ukes out there. Here is a site with a comprehensive history of Ditson ukes. Link
Saturday, May 04, 2024
Scott Linker - Four Strings & a Jest
Multi-instrumentalist and, like yours truly, a former Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus clown, Scott Linker has a new ukulele-infused album out. For me, this is kind of like Harpo Marx cutting a record: for all his years in greasepaint, Scott worked silent. It's lovely to hear his voice!
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Ukulele-Playing 'Survivor' Contestant Sonja Christopher dies at 87
Friday, April 12, 2024
Running a Marathon, Playing a Ukulele
Thursday, April 04, 2024
Kyle Gray Young's Historic Banjo Method Transcriptions
Horace Weston was considered to be the finest banjo player the world had ever seen. Weston performed extensively throughout North America and Europe from the 1860s until his death in 1890. He was one of a few African Americans in the 19th century who performed in minstrel shows, largely to White audiences.Horace Weston was also the first African American to get credited for his banjo compositions. In the 1880s, S.S. Stewart published a couple dozen of Weston's banjo tunes. All 24 of his banjo solos and duets are presented here in crystal clear tablature for re-entrant ukulele. These are very challenging and not suitable for beginners. You will most likely need a tenor ukulele for some of the arrangements that use the higher frets. Certain tunes like Home Sweet Home are almost unplayable, but that's pretty much how the banjo version is too. There are many reasons why Horace Weston was The Champion Banjoist of the Entire World.