Videos
Throwback Thursday: Watch Iz Kamakawiwo’ole Perform ‘White Sandy Beach of Hawaii’
This sunny Throwback Thursday is dedicated to the legendary Iz Kamakawiwo’ole. Stationed aptly on a beach with ukulele in hand, watch Bruddah Iz perform his rendition of “White Sandy Beach of Hawaii” off his 1993 album Facing Future. It’s sure to help…
Watch Rachel Manke and Garrison Keillor Perform ‘It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie’ on Prairie Home Companion
When Rachel Manke — a Lutheran pastor — sings “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie,” you believe her. The uke star appeared on Prairie Home Companion last June and, in the above video, is joined by longtime host Garrison…
Reel Good: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Ukulele Masters John King and James Hill
By Greg Olwell With this week’s Throwback Thursday falling on St. Patrick’s Day, it just seemed right to feature a little Irish music. Back at the Portland Uke Fest in 2008, two modern masters, the late John King and James…
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Ukulele Sessions: Sylvie Simmons Performs the Leonard Cohen Classic ‘Suzanne’
“First law of music journalism: Do not make an album. And on top of it, I play a ukulele,” Leonard Cohen biographer and esteemed rock journalist Sylvie Simmons joked in an interview with Ukulele following the release of her exquisite…
Lyle Ritz: The Leader Of A Quiet, Mellow Revolution
By Greg Olwell While most people have probably heard Lyle Ritz, they may not have known it. As an A-list session bassist whose career began in the late-’50s, Ritz racked up thousands of studio sessions, playing on many hits including…
Vintage Hawaiian Vibes, Circa 1924
By Greg Olwell Let’s look at some vintage film shot in Hawaii for Aloha Friday. Throughout the ’20s, the mainland US was enthralled with the culture and music of the Hawaiian Islands and this nine-minute film, made by the Ford Motor Company…
Meet the Ukurone: Bigger Than an Upright Bass and Strung with Rope
BY GREG OLWELL I couldn’t help but notice something odd when violin-maker Andrew Carruthers lead me the backyard his freshly varnished violins and cellos dry in the golden California sun. I saw a large open headstock, like you’d see on an old…
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Watch the 1917 Short Film, ‘The Making of a Ukulele’
A reader posted this cool vintage clip to our Facebook page and we had to share. Watch the short film “The Making of a Ukulele,” created by Ford Motor Company around 1917 for educational purposes. The clip depicts a…