HAWAIIAN UKULELE
Ukulele (/ˌjuːkəˈleɪli/ YOO-kə-LAY-lee; from Hawaiian: ʻukulele [ˈʔukuˈlɛlɛ], approximately OO-koo-LEH-leh) is a member of the lute family of instruments. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The ukulele is a small guitar-like instrument, which was introduced to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century and from there spread internationally.
The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.
The ukulele is commonly associated with music from Hawaii where the name roughly translates as “jumping flea”, perhaps because of the movement of the player’s fingers. Legend attributes it to the nickname of the Englishman Edward William Purvis, one of King Kalākaua‘s officers, because of his small size, fidgety manner, and playing expertise. One of the earliest appearances of the word ukulele in print (in the sense of a stringed instrument) is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art‘s Catalogue of the Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments of All Nations published in 1907. The catalog describes two ukuleles from Hawaii: one that is similar in size to a modern soprano ukulele, and one that is similar to a tenor (see § Types and sizes).
Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on several small guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the machete, the cavaquinho, the timple, and the rajão, introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and Cape Verde. Three immigrants in particular, Madeiran cabinet makers Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, are generally credited as the first ukulele makers. Two weeks after they disembarked from the SS Ravenscrag in late August 1879, the Hawaiian Gazette reported that “Madeira Islanders recently arrived here, have been delighting the people with nightly street concerts.”
One of the most important factors in establishing the ukulele in Hawaiian music and culture was the ardent support and promotion of the instrument by King Kalākaua. A patron of the arts, he incorporated it into performances at royal gatherings.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Have a look on YouTube to see Ukulele in action! CLICK HERE
Hawaiian Ukulele Workshops
Hawaiian Ukulele workshops are a fantastic introduction to stringed instruments.
They allow participants to experience playing a variety of chords and songs to create excellent entertaining ‘mash-ups’ of modern pop, rock and ballad songs.
The unique Louder Than Life colour system enables all participants, regardless of age or ability, to fully take part and enjoy a pacific style workshop.
From Louder Than Life World Music Workshops for Schools & Academies.
World Music Festival
Every year, taking place over 3 weeks in the Spring Term, EMS organises a series of workshops in schools featuring music from around the world.
For more information, visit World Music Festival.
