July 2015

Ukulele virtuoso's Brittni Paiva, Kalei Gamiao, Andrew Molina, Kris Fuchigami, Corey Fujimoto

The Next Jake: 5 Up-And-Coming Hawaiian Artists to Watch

By Kenny Berkowitz They’re young, they’re phenomenally talented, and they’re dreaming of becoming the next Jake Shimabukuro. And why shouldn’t they? Meet the future stars of Hawaiian ukulele. Brittni Paiva Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii Covers: “Boogie Woogie Bossa Nova,” “Somewhere Over…

Plastic Fantastic: How Mario Maccaferri Revolutionized the Uke Scene

Mario Maccaferri created millions of instrument-quality plastic ukuleles and introduced a generation of baby boomers—including me—to the joys of making music.

Jake Shimabukuro performing with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra

Byron Yasui Pens a Ukulele Tour de Force for Jake Shimabukuro

By Audrey Coleman Photography courtesy of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra It’s not that nobody has ever thought of writing a concerto for the ukulele. In 1999, the Wallingford (Connecticut) Symphony Orchestra commissioned uke player-composer Jim Beloff to write Uke Can’t Be Serious:…

Uke Basics: Open-G Tuning

This audio goes along with the article in the Summer 2015 issue of Ukulele magazine.

Review: Sweet, Zippy, and a Great Time, the Goodtime Banjo-ukulele Lives Up to Its Name

For the most part, the new American-made, concert-scale banjo-ukulele features the same high-quality woods and construction for which Deering is known, at a price point that won’t break the bank.

Uke Basics: Audio Examples

Check out the audio examples from Ukulele Fall 2015 below: This article originally appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of Ukulele magazine. Click here for more on that issue.

Review: Ohana’s OBU-22 Bass Ukulele Packs a Punch

Ohana's OBU-22’s bass ukulele has a larger body, longer neck, and metal-core strings that are more like a miniature acoustic bass guitar than a big ukulele.

Review: KoAloha’s Naupaka Tenor and Soprano Ukuleles

I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I first opened the boxes from Hawaiian ukulele makers KoAloha. Surprised to find mix-and-match tops staring back at me, I squinted, did a double take, and finally took a closer…

Ukulele Star Taimane Gardner © Shaun Edward.jpg

Taimane Gardner: Reaching for the Stars

Ukulele virtuoso Taimane Gardner charts a new course with her first self-produced album, We Are Made of Stars, which showcases her singing and songwriting talents.

Fall 2015

Visit the ukulele’s spiritual home, Hawaii, with a special section that features rising star Taimane Gardner; an Oahu adventure that includes lunch with Eddie Kamae; five up-and-coming players to watch; Jake Shimabukuro tackles Byron Yasui’s new ukulele concerto; five classic, must-have…