Knol by Ukulele Hunt
Early History of the Ukulele
The story of the ukulele starts on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Farm workers there were recruited to go to the newly discovered islands of Hawaii to work the land. They took with them the instrument most suited to a long sea journey, a small, four stringed, fretted instrument known as a Machete de Braga.
The picture to the right was taken by Lewis Carrol and shows Alice Liddell (who inspired Alice in Wonderland) and her sisters playing machetes.
The development of the ukulele from the machete can be put down to three men: Augusto Dias, Manuel Nunes and Jose do Espirito Santo. All three had arrived on the same ship in 1879 and by the mid-1880s all had started making their own instruments.
The ukulele really took off in Hawaii with the support of King Kalakaua. As well as employing Augusto Diaz to play ukulele at events, he played the uke and composed tunes himself. As did his sister, the future Queen Lili'uokalani, who is rumored to have written the song Aloha Oe.
You can read much more about the early history of the ukulele on John King's site.
By the time that Hawaii was accepted in the United States in 1900, the ukulele was well established as the islands' most popular instrument. So it was only natural that the ukulele would feature prominently in Hawaii's exhibit at Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. It is estimated that 17 million people visited the Exposition and for many it was their first introduction to the idea of Hawaii as a land of sun, grass skirts and ukuleles.
The success of the Hawaiian exhibit lead to a huge interest in all things Hawaiian. The ukulele became hugely popular and mainland US firms such as Martin and Regal began producing ukuleles.Tin Pan Alley songwriters were, as ever, quick to jump on the bandwagon. They produced hundreds of mock-Hawaiian songs (known as hapa haole) often referencing the ukulele. With the ukulele becoming more widely played than the guitar, sheet music was invariably produced with ukulele chords.
The popularity of the uke continued into the 1920s and many silent film stars (including Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, and Clara Bow) can be seen playing the ukulele in their films. But the biggest Hollywood star to take up the ukulele was Cliff 'Ukulele Ike' Edwards (most famous as the voice of Jiminy Cricket).
In the UK, the ukulele is synonymous with one man: George Formby. Formby played a variation of the ukulele known as a banjolele (tuned like a ukulele but with the steel strings and vellum of a banjo). He was one of the biggest entertainers of the 1930s and '40s and the became universally popular during the War years.
To this day, many in the UK revere him and play note-for-note renditions of his songs.
The ukulele fell out of fashion in the US during the depression era. However, with many servicemen returning from Hawaii, the ukulele saw a resurgence in popularity during the second half of the 1940s.
The latest ukulele fad really took off in the 1950s with the support of Arthur Godfrey who played the ukulele every week on his TV show.
The 1950s also saw a reduction in the price of the ukulele when companies like Maccaferri began producing plastic ukuleles.
The ukulele is once again becoming popular in many different styles.
Ukulele Orchestras, Groups and Ensembles
Groups of ukulele players are cropping up all over the globe. The most famous of these is the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain who can be seen covering everything from Bach to the Sex Pistols. Also popular is the Wellington Ukulele Ensemble (right, by frida world) which features Age Pryor and Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords.
Solo Ukulele Players
The ukulele has been used as a solo instrument for many years, but players like Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill are taking the ukulele to whole new levels of musicality.
Indie Ukulele
The ukulele's lo-fi sound has meant it has been picked up by many of today's songwriters. Most notably Zach Condon of Beirut and Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields.
Knol via Ukulele Hunt
Early History of the Ukulele
The story of the ukulele starts on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Farm workers there were recruited to go to the newly discovered islands of Hawaii to work the land. They took with them the instrument most suited to a long sea journey, a small, four stringed, fretted instrument known as a Machete de Braga. The picture to the right was taken by Lewis Carrol and shows Alice Liddell (who inspired Alice in Wonderland) and her sisters playing machetes.
The development of the ukulele from the machete can be put down to three men: Augusto Dias, Manuel Nunes and Jose do Espirito Santo. All three had arrived on the same ship in 1879 and by the mid-1880s all had started making their own instruments.
The ukulele really took off in Hawaii with the support of King Kalakaua. As well as employing Augusto Diaz to play ukulele at events, he played the uke and composed tunes himself. As did his sister, the future Queen Lili'uokalani, who is rumored to have written the song Aloha Oe.
You can read much more about the early history of the ukulele on John King's site.
The First Ukulele Craze
By the time that Hawaii was accepted in the United States in 1900, the ukulele was well established as the islands' most popular instrument. So it was only natural that the ukulele would feature prominently in Hawaii's exhibit at Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. It is estimated that 17 million people visited the Exposition and for many it was their first introduction to the idea of Hawaii as a land of sun, grass skirts and ukuleles.
The success of the Hawaiian exhibit lead to a huge interest in all things Hawaiian. The ukulele became hugely popular and mainland US firms such as Martin and Regal began producing ukuleles.Tin Pan Alley songwriters were, as ever, quick to jump on the bandwagon. They produced hundreds of mock-Hawaiian songs (known as hapa haole) often referencing the ukulele. With the ukulele becoming more widely played than the guitar, sheet music was invariably produced with ukulele chords.
The popularity of the uke continued into the 1920s and many silent film stars (including Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, and Clara Bow) can be seen playing the ukulele in their films. But the biggest Hollywood star to take up the ukulele was Cliff 'Ukulele Ike' Edwards (most famous as the voice of Jiminy Cricket).
Ukuleles in the UK
In the UK, the ukulele is synonymous with one man: George Formby. Formby played a variation of the ukulele known as a banjolele (tuned like a ukulele but with the steel strings and vellum of a banjo). He was one of the biggest entertainers of the 1930s and '40s and the became universally popular during the War years.
To this day, many in the UK revere him and play note-for-note renditions of his songs.
The Second Ukulele Craze
The ukulele fell out of fashion in the US during the depression era. However, with many servicemen returning from Hawaii, the ukulele saw a resurgence in popularity during the second half of the 1940s.
The latest ukulele fad really took off in the 1950s with the support of Arthur Godfrey who played the ukulele every week on his TV show.
The 1950s also saw a reduction in the price of the ukulele when companies like Maccaferri began producing plastic ukuleles.
Modern Ukulele
The ukulele is once again becoming popular in many different styles.
Ukulele Orchestras, Groups and Ensembles
Groups of ukulele players are cropping up all over the globe. The most famous of these is the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain who can be seen covering everything from Bach to the Sex Pistols. Also popular is the Wellington Ukulele Ensemble (right, by frida world) which features Age Pryor and Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords.Solo Ukulele Players
The ukulele has been used as a solo instrument for many years, but players like Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill are taking the ukulele to whole new levels of musicality.
Indie Ukulele
The ukulele's lo-fi sound has meant it has been picked up by many of today's songwriters. Most notably Zach Condon of Beirut and Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields.
Knol via Ukulele Hunt
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