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The name "ukulele" comes from the Hawaiian words "uku" (flea) and "lele" (jumping). This name was inspired by the quick finger movements of Edward Purvis, an English army officer and assistant to King Kalākaua, whose nimble playing style reminded Hawaiians of jumping fleas.
Alternative theories suggest the name might refer to the instrument as a "gift that came" to Hawaii or to Queen Lili'uokalani's description of players' fingers as jumping like fleas across the strings.
In 1879, the ship Ravenscrag arrived in Honolulu Harbor with more than 400 Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and the Azores. Among them were three cabinet makers—Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias, and José do Espírito Santo—who brought with them the machete (also known as the braguinha or cavaquinho), a small four-stringed instrument that would evolve into the ukulele.
King David Kalākaua, who ruled Hawaii from 1874 to 1891, played a vital role in popularizing the ukulele. Known as the "Merrie Monarch" for his love of arts and culture, Kalākaua featured the ukulele at royal gatherings and encouraged its playing throughout the kingdom. His support helped establish the ukulele as a symbol of Hawaiian culture during a time when many native traditions were being suppressed.
Herbert Khaury, better known as Tiny Tim, helped bring the ukulele back into the American spotlight in the late 1960s with his distinctive falsetto rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." His 1968 appearance on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, where he played his ukulele and sang in his characteristic style, became iconic and introduced millions of viewers to the instrument, albeit in a novelty context.
Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World," recorded in a single take in 1988, has become one of the most recognized ukulele performances in history. The song, featuring just Israel's voice and ukulele, has been used in numerous films, TV shows, and commercials. Though released in 1993, it gained widespread popularity in the early 2000s and has helped introduce countless people to the beautiful sound of the ukulele.
In 2006, a video of Jake Shimabukuro performing George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on ukulele in Central Park was uploaded to YouTube. The video went viral and has been viewed millions of times, showcasing the ukulele's potential as a serious and versatile instrument capable of complex music. This performance is often credited as a catalyst for the modern ukulele revival.
In the 1959 film "Some Like It Hot," Marilyn Monroe plays Sugar Kane, a ukulele-playing singer in an all-female band. Her performance of "I Wanna Be Loved By You" while playing the ukulele became an iconic moment in film history and helped maintain the instrument's visibility in popular culture during the mid-20th century.
The earliest known recording featuring a ukulele was made in 1915 by Henry N. Clark, titled "On the Beach at Waikiki." This came just as the ukulele was gaining popularity on the U.S. mainland following the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Early recordings helped spread the sound of the ukulele across America and contributed to the first major ukulele craze of the 1920s.
In the 1960s, Canadian music educator J. Chalmers Doane developed a ukulele curriculum for schools that was eventually adopted in Hawaii. The instrument's relatively low cost, portable size, and ease of learning basic chords made it ideal for classroom music education. This educational usage helped preserve ukulele traditions during a period when the instrument's mainstream popularity had waned.
The finest traditional Hawaiian ukuleles are made from koa, a wood native to Hawaii. Early ukulele makers discovered that koa produced instruments with a warm, rich tone and beautiful grain patterns. Today, due to the limited supply of koa and environmental concerns, many ukuleles are made from alternative woods like mahogany, spruce, or cedar, though koa remains the premium choice for high-end instruments.
The ukulele has evolved into four standard sizes, each with its own characteristics: soprano (the original size, also called "standard"), concert (developed in the 1920s for greater volume), tenor (introduced in the 1920s with a deeper tone), and baritone (created in the 1940s with a different tuning closer to a guitar). The development of these various sizes helped expand the instrument's range and versatility.
Unlike the Portuguese machete that inspired it, which was typically tuned D-G-B-D, the standard ukulele tuning is G-C-E-A. This tuning, known as "C tuning" or "C6 tuning," gives the ukulele its characteristic bright sound. Interestingly, the G string is usually tuned an octave higher than expected (called "re-entrant tuning"), which contributes to the instrument's unique sound.
Though best known for his guitar playing with The Beatles, George Harrison was an avid ukulele enthusiast who amassed a large collection of the instruments. He often gave ukuleles as gifts to friends and was known to carry one with him when traveling. His friend and fellow musician Joe Brown played "I'll See You in My Dreams" on ukulele at Harrison's memorial service as a tribute to his love for the instrument.
Ernest Ka'ai published the first known ukulele method book, "The Ukulele: A Hawaiian Guitar and How to Play It," in 1914. This pioneering instructional book helped standardize ukulele teaching methods and made the instrument more accessible to beginners. Ka'ai was a prominent Hawaiian musician who helped spread ukulele playing beyond Hawaii through his performances and publications.
In 2017, the United Kingdom set a Guinness World Record for the largest ukulele ensemble with 5,182 participants playing together at the Lytham Festival. This record-breaking event highlights the global popularity of the ukulele in the 21st century and the communal aspect of ukulele playing that has made it popular for group music-making.
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