Tsani
Well-known member
In doing research on my P'mico uke, I ran into a lot of references to May Singhi Breen, the "Ukulele Lady". Apparently she was very influential in popularizing the ukulele and in demanding respect for the ukulele as a serious instrument.
As you know, there are a lot of people who put the ukulele on about the same level as the kazoo.
May S. Breen was a popular performer on the radio in the 30's and 40's. She and her husband, Pete De Rose, had a show called "Sweethearts of the Air". I think they did mostly light pop songs and novelty songs, but they were quite famous in their day.
May Singhi Breen demanded that the musician's union give the same respect and membership rights to ukulele players that they gave to everyone else. As a result the musician's union accepted ukulele players and accepted the ukulele as a serious instrument on the same level as violin, guitar, or any other instrument.
May S. Breen also had the first piece of concert classical music written especially for the ukulele, and she performed it as the featured soloist. I think the writer may have been her husband, Pete De Rose, or at least he collaborated on it.
May Singhi Breen was a music arranger as well. They say that more sheet music arrangements are credited to her than to any other person in history. That seems like a rather big claim - but if the internet says it, it must be so... right?
There must be a bunch of old 78 records of her music out there somewhere. Does anybody know if any of her music is available in mp3 form on the web? I would like to know what she sounded like.
(By the way - y'all can fact check me on this stuff. I'm writing from memory of the articles I have read.)
As you know, there are a lot of people who put the ukulele on about the same level as the kazoo.
May S. Breen was a popular performer on the radio in the 30's and 40's. She and her husband, Pete De Rose, had a show called "Sweethearts of the Air". I think they did mostly light pop songs and novelty songs, but they were quite famous in their day.
May Singhi Breen demanded that the musician's union give the same respect and membership rights to ukulele players that they gave to everyone else. As a result the musician's union accepted ukulele players and accepted the ukulele as a serious instrument on the same level as violin, guitar, or any other instrument.
May S. Breen also had the first piece of concert classical music written especially for the ukulele, and she performed it as the featured soloist. I think the writer may have been her husband, Pete De Rose, or at least he collaborated on it.
May Singhi Breen was a music arranger as well. They say that more sheet music arrangements are credited to her than to any other person in history. That seems like a rather big claim - but if the internet says it, it must be so... right?
There must be a bunch of old 78 records of her music out there somewhere. Does anybody know if any of her music is available in mp3 form on the web? I would like to know what she sounded like.
(By the way - y'all can fact check me on this stuff. I'm writing from memory of the articles I have read.)
