The Ukulele Foundation of Hawai`i

Thousands of people came to the 2nd Ukulele Picnic in Hawaii enjoyed exceptionally clear sky and beautiful music by local and international artists.  Mufi Hannemann, the Mayor, and Duke Aiona, Leutenent Governer, also enjoyed this great event.  In their speech, a surprise gift of proclamations were presented to Mr. and Mrs. Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, executive producers of the event.   The city  proclaimed 2/13/2010 as “Ukulele Picnic Day” and the state proclaimed this day as “Ukulele Day in Hawaii.” Ukulele Foundation of Hawaii congratulate all those involved in making of Ukulele Picnic in Hawaii for this achievement. 

Ukulele Picnic in Hawaii Committee has announced that 2nd Annual Ukulele Picnic will be held on Saturday 13, 2010, at Kaka`ako Waterfront Park. Ukulele virtuosos and legends from Hawaii and Japan will perform on the hilltop stage overlooking Diamond Head, Honolulu Harbor, the ocean and mountains. Performers from U.S. include Lyle Ritz, Kumu ukulele Ohta-san, Pali, Holunape, Manoa DNA, and the Roy Sakuma Ukulele School.  Performers from Japan include Iwao, Kiyoshi Kobayashi & Ukulele Orchestra of Japan, Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, and Kimiko Wakiyama. Be there and you will be reminded how blessed you are to live in Hawaii.  Admission to the picnic is free. Along with the main stage non stop entertainment, exhibitors will show ukulele related exhibits and merchandise and food vendors will be selling ono food and drink. Parking is available and shuttle service will be provided from Waikiki. There will be inflatables for the kids and all are encouraged to bring mats for lawn seating.  For the latest event information, please visit:  http://www.ukulelepicnicinhawaii.org      [Read more →]

Ukulele giant Lyle Ritz will be performing as an added “legend” this Wednesday night, February 10^th at the Ukulele Legends in Concert at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Bill Tapia, who was to perform in person, will now perform via a media hook up to his home in California. The 102 year old Mr. Tapia who had fallen and broken his hip was not cleared to travel by his physician.

Mr. Tapia had fallen and fractured his hip and underwent surgery over two months ago.  He was all ready and excited to come to Hawaii to perform for everyone but was told by the physician that he is still unable to travel.  With this sad news, Lyle Ritz, a good friend of Herb Ohta and Bill Tapia has accepted to help with this event.  

“It’s unfortunate that Bill will not be able to be here in person,” said Kazu Sekiguchi the Ukulele Foundation of Hawaii’s driving force and promoter of the concert. “We were saddened when we received the news that Bill Tapia will not be able to be here in person but we’re pleased to announce that we have another legendary performer, Lyle Ritz, that will be flying in all the way from Oregon to perform for us on the 10th and the 13th.”

The Concert’s producers quickly scrambled when they received the news that Mr. Tapia would not be coming in person. Through the magic of modern technology and the kind assistance of Lori Estrada of ACN communications a video phone hook up is being put in place to have Bill able to perform at the event. ACN will provide the hardware and technology to beam a video and audio feed to a large screen at the event.  

Lyle Ritz firmly owns the right to be called an ukulele legend. He was one of the first to record and treat the ukulele as a bona fide jazz instrument. The ukulele is often considered a novelty instrument when in its usual Hawaiian surroundings, but Lyle Ritz never felt that way. Born in Cleveland, OH, Ritz studied violin and tuba as a child. While attending college in California, he found a job at the Southern California Music Company in Los Angeles. Working in the “Small Goods Department” meant he took care of harmonicas, accessories, and the instrument that was to become his love, the ukulele. It was the ’50s and he started by playing the hits of the day and some novelty numbers. Guitarist Barney Kessel was also working as an A&R man at the Verve record label at the time, and when he heard Ritz playing live he quickly signed him. Verve released Ritz’s albums How About Uke? in 1957 and 50th State Jazz in 1959. The albums did well in Hawaii but failed to get much attention on the mainland past hardcore jazz collectors. Ritz gave up playing the ukulele professionally and switched to bass.

Ritz experienced a steady stream of work during the ’60s and ’70s as a session musician in Hollywood. Herb Alpert’s “Taste of Honey,” the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” are just three of the 5,000 recordings that feature his bass playing. Ritz later found work in the world of television and film, and his bass was part of the soundtrack to The Rockford Files, Name That Tune, and Kojak, to name just a few. The only work he found with his ukulele was when he was hired to play the parts Steve Martin would pretend to play in The Jerk, but his fandom in Hawaii was slowly growing. Ukulele player and record producer Roy Sakuma hunted Ritz down in 1985 and brought him to the islands for a festival. Ritz had no idea his Verve records were the stuff of legend in Hawaii, but it did influence him to return to the festival during the next three years. In 1988 Ritz decided it was time to “retire” to the islands with his wife, but he still kept up his playing; Roy Sakuma Records released Ritz’s third album, Time, that year. In 2004, Verve reissued How About Uke? Currently living in Oregon, he continues to play his loving tenor ukulele with his unique style. 

The Ukulele Legends in Concert at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace on Wednesday February 10, 2010 is appropriately named since it will feature three true Hawaiian treasures and bona fide ukulele legends. Performing on stage will be the 102 year old ukulele virtuoso Bill Tapia. He will be joined by 82 year old Eddie Kamae and the Sons of Hawaii and 75 year old ukulele perennial Herb “Ohta-san” Ohta. Together they possess 200+ years of ukulele experience. This landmark concert brings together three of the living giants of the ukulele in a concert that’s not to be missed by anyone with an affection for this iconic Hawaiian instrument. [Read more →]

「我々が伝説の目撃者となる日」

コードとメロディを同時に演奏する奏法を究め、比類なき演奏スタイルを確立したオータサンこと、ハーブ・オータ。８０枚以上のアルバムを作り、ウクレレの神様と呼ばれ、日本の第２次ウクレレブームに火をつけたと言われるオータサンの信奉者は世界中にいる。

その師匠とも言うべき存在がエディ・カマエだ。若き日のオータサンに大きな影響を与えた。エディはすでに有名な演奏家だったが、その後、自身がリーダーを務めるThe Sons of Hawai`iとともに７０年代のハワイアンルネッサンスにおいて重要な役割を果たした。８０年代に入ってから作り続けているハワイアンミュージックのルーツをたどるドキュメンタリーの映像作品は、ハワイの子どもたちを今も啓蒙し続けている。

そのエディよりもひと世代前に生まれ、ハワイアンミュージックが外の世界の影響を受けて洗練の道をたどり始めた２０年代から活躍し続けるのが１９０８年生まれのビル・タピアだ。ウクレレを初めて作った人とされるマニュエル・ヌネスから直接ウクレレを買ったところから彼の伝説は始まる。１０才からプロミュージシャンとなり、世界ではじめてウクレレでジャズを弾いた人とも言われる。ビルは以降、メインランドに渡りジャズのフィールドで演奏活動を続け、９０歳を過ぎてから初めて、自身のリーダーアルバムをリリースした。

彼らのフィールドはそれぞれ違うが、共通しているのは、今もウクレレとともにプロフェッショナルな演奏家として活躍を続けている事だ。それぞれ先人から影響を受けながら独自の道を歩んだ３人、ウクレレを弾き、音楽を愛する僕らが彼らから受け継がなければいけないものはまだまだたくさんあると思う。それを確認できる機会でもある。

２０１０年、２月１０日、数えきれぬ伝説をそれぞれ作り続けて来た彼らが、今度はともに新しい伝説を作る日がやって来た。

３人で共演するのはもちろん初めてだ。ひとつのステージで彼らはそれぞれ違うスタイルの演奏を披露する。至福のひと時が幻のように過ぎるに違いない。そして我々は伝説の目撃者となるのだ。

関口和之（エグゼクティブ・プロデューサー）

Ukulele Party!  The 3rd Ukulele Pa`ina will be held at Pipeline Cafè on December 6, 2009 (Sunday). Pa`ina is Foundation’s successful event that perpetuates happiness and joy of the ukulele in Ohana style music party filled with lots of Aloha.  

This year, Pa`ina features performances by Kalei Gamiao, Brittni Paiva, Bruce Shimabukuro, Jody & Chris, and students from Ukulele Hale, an ukulele school in Kaimuki. 

[Read more →]

Thousands of people came to the event on an exceptionally beautiful day at Kaka’ako Park in Honolulu Hawaii.  The music was wonderful, the food was delicious, and we even had a huge rainbow grace the skies, reminding us of how blessed we are to live in Hawaii. As the producer of this event and as one of the musicians, I was so happy to be surrounded by such a cheerful crowd. In our finale performance, I couldn’t hold my tears of joy.  Thank you so very much Hawaii.I would like to express special appreciation to Herb Ohta-san for playing at this event. I truly respect him as an artist and as a friend.  Also, I am grateful for my friends Konishiki and Roy Sakuma for providing valuable advice and support.  They were instrumental in making this event a reality.  Thank you to all the talented musicians from Hawaii and Japan who contributed their time and talent to the Ukulele Picnic.  Their performances were all wonderful.  Finally, thank you a million times to the local and Japanese staff, volunteers and friends who worked so hard to make this event a success.Thank you very much!Let’s do it again next year!I believe the ukulele has irresistible charm and its music has healing power that touches hearts and brings a spirit of unity and Aloha. My dream is to establish an Ukulele Museum that will facilitate social, educational, and cultural activities in a friendly environment that will perpetuate the joy of the ukulele to the people of Hawai`i and to the world.The sucess of this event marks important first step on the road to realize my dream.  Wanna join?  Hop in to my dream train. 

The Ukulele ♪             

A little instrument with a big heart

Friendly and inviting

Creating millions of smiles

With just a simple strum

The Ukulele♪

Kazuyuki Sekiguchi  

My dream is to contribute to creating peaceful and joyful society by spereading out the emotional value of the Ukulele and its music.The Ukulele Museum and its activities in Honolulu will enable us to make my Life-time dream come true.We want to do to the place that there is a ukulele when children visit here by the class trip as a fieldwork, is a person who teaches playing the ukulele, and the history of the ukulele can be studied.僕の夢はウクレレの楽しさをハワイから世界に発信すること。そのために楽しさあふれるウクレレミュージアムをホノルルに創りたい。課外授業で子供たちがフィールドワークとしてここを訪れると、ウクレレがあり、教えてくれる人もいて、ウクレレの歴史も学べる、そういう場所にしたい。Kazu Sekiguchi　関口和之

It is possible to use multipurpose, and with the communication of the person and the ukulele.多目的に使え、人やウクレレとの触れ合いがある場所です。Culture & Historyまるでウクレレの中に入りこんだようなワクワク展示ホール。ウクレレの奥の深さを実感できる歴史の散歩道。そんなMuseumにしたい。Live Concertミニライブ、ウクレレスクールの発表会、ツーリスト向けのワークショップ等が開催されるオープンライブホール。多目的に楽しく使いたい。Edutainmentウクレレやハワイアンミュージックとふれあう事ができる子どもたちのフィールドトリップの場。その場で皆が弾けるようになるスピードレッスン体験コース。自分の演奏風景をDVDに録音・録画して持ち帰ることができれば楽しい思い出のオリジナルPVに。Joyful Experience自分オリジナルのウクレレ販売やウクレレ貸出もしているウクレレショップ。多くの人や情報が集まる楽しくて癒される観光スポットにしたい。