Ukulele

 

The ukulele is a member of the lute family of instruments and commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.
It is mostly associated with music from Hawaii where the name roughly translates as "jumping flea". 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. The ukulele gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century and from there spread internationally.

Selected famous artists: 

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Jake Shimabukuro

Eddie Kamae

Selected famous songs played on the ukulele:

Somewhere over the Rainbow

What a Wonderful World

Our Specialist Teachers of Electric Guitar:

Mr. Jessie Jr. Santiago Torres - Khalidiya Branch

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