Nice article on resurgence of uke in popular music

bazmaz

bazmaz

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Aloha pauljmuk,
Mahalo for sharing, excellent article.........................BO.....................
 
I thought so - its typically media typey, and I can see some of the artists may not appeal to everyone - but there are plenty of namechecks in here - and its not aimed at us converts, more to those who think the ukulele is something only ever played by George Formby and Tiny Tim

(not that I have any prob with either of those guys, but you know what I mean)
 
nice article and mostly complimentary, but wondering where he decided "The trend, building for a decade and now reaching a saturation point" came from. May be true, but I certainly see no saturation signs at this moment? Anyway, detailed articles like this should keep the saturation from happening in the coming decade :) Lozark
 
Lozark - I agree - hence my comment about being typically "media" - they get a lot of stuff skewed - but still think it goes further than most I read - will certainly appeal to the younger generation, and I have no issue with that.
 
Saturation point, eh? Wanna bet?
 
Considering the near ubiqutious use in advertising, a few overplayed one-hits in pop music, and the inevitable backlash against the sound rumbling up from the gutters of on-line music critics - I think "saturation point" is a fair assessment. In fact, now that I think about it - all I've seen for the last four years is essentially the same article about the "resurgence of the uke". That alone is a clue that a bubble could burst. Not that it should - but we've got this impressive fad/bust history with the uke in popular culture, twice. I'd be astonished if it didn't eventually go the same direction.

I can’t be the only one who hates to see articles like this (thanks for sharing it though – I’m not shooting the messenger). “Mainstream”popularity of the uke makes my skin crawl. It feels like someone pimping out my little sister on a street corner or something. Exploitative and fad driven pop-garbage.

This is just my personal opinion - but the fact that Vedder and bands like Train are making buckets of pop-dollars from the uke-fad seems like nothing less than a hideous sign of the end times to me. Second only to the uke’s appearances on "American Idol" and "Glee" as a giant red flag as to the inevitable closeting and re-closeting of thousands of poor defenseless ukuleles. But, I’m an admitted and unapologetic snob. I like obscure instruments. I like making sounds that don’t sell records.

All snide snobbery aside, I hope it just signals a healthy and permanent return to acoustic instruments of all stripes to our collective musical scene that will last ‘til I’m pushing up hibiscus at least. It does look grim from here though.

Not much for it I suppose, except to wait and watch. If the fad breaks the way the last two did – there will be some sweet e-bay deals in my future.
 
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Aloha Paul,
Mahalo for the link, I think this time around we will see the ukulele take a different path from the past as a comical instrument for laughs..It has gained it's right as a serious instrument and not just by being an accompliment...
We now see and know of it's true potential as a main focal instrument and can stand up on it's own..and not just as a fad. For me personally, the ukulele is not going in the same direction as in the past...but will
just increase in it's popularity...as the new generation will discover it is a fun and enjoyable instrument.
 
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I liked the Vedder quote, “Less strings, more melody", but I can do without "Can I make this happy little instrument as depressed as I am?”. If that's where we're going, I hope the end time IS nigh.
 
Thanks for posting the link! Nice plug for the upcoming New York Ukulele Festival. When I was in Hawai'i, I was repeatedly told that it wa the electric guitar, and not Tiny Tim, that doomed the ukulele in the late 60s. The electric guitar was different enough from anything being played in poo music at the time that it became the focal point for pop music at the expense of other instruments, not only ukuleles, but pianos and other instruments that had been used in pop songs at the time. (The MOOG synthesizer almost did the same thing to the guitar some years later.) Now that ukuleles have been shown to coexist in the same song with electric guitars (for example, "Colors," by April Smith and the Great Picture Show) and orchestral instruments (for example, Jake Shimabukuro performing "Here, There and Everywhere" on YouTube with a high school orchestra), it may be more difficult for an instrument to come along and displace the ukulele as completely as the electric guitar did in the 60s.
 
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thanks a lot for the link Paul. Enjoyed the article very much. Duly printed up and filed away with all my other uke related stuff! Cheers! :)
 
Much mahalos for sharing. I liked it for the fact it didn't seem to question as most other articles of late, is is a passing fad? Thanks again.
 
Thank you for sharing this article. I look forward to the release of Eddie Vedder's new album (even if it is a bit depressing).
 
mds725 said:
When I was in Hawai'i, I was repeatedly told that it wa the electric guitar, and not Tiny Tim, that doomed the ukulele in the late 60s. The electric guitar was different enough from anything being played in poo music at the time that it became the focal point for pop music at the expense of other instruments, not only ukuleles, but pianos and other instruments that had been used in pop songs at the time. (The MOOG synthesizer almost did the same thing to the guitar some years later.)
Click to expand...


You have no idea how much I agree ;) I don't think Tiny Tim did near as much damage as people associate him with doing. One man cannot singlehandedly reduce the value of an instrument in the eyes of the public to nothing, the same as Jake Shimabukuro cannot always convert ukulele critics no matter how good he is.
 
mds725 said:
The electric guitar was different enough from anything being played in poo music at the time......
Click to expand...

Yep and now people are tired of poo music and want to play basically happy music!
 
GrumpyCoyote said:
I can’t be the only one who hates to see articles like this (thanks for sharing it though – I’m not shooting the messenger). “Mainstream”popularity of the uke makes my skin crawl. It feels like someone pimping out my little sister on a street corner or something. Exploitative and fad driven pop-garbage.

This is just my personal opinion - but the fact that Vedder and bands like Train are making buckets of pop-dollars from the uke-fad seems like nothing less than a hideous sign of the end times to me.
Click to expand...
You are a grumpy one, aintcha? :p

I think this is the most telling line in the whole article:

Sammy Ash, chief operating officer of the Sam Ash music stores, said he sold more ukuleles last December than in the entire previous decade, along with lots of accessories.
Click to expand...
That doesn't sound to me like a bubble that's about to burst, more like a snowball rolling down the mountain and getting bigger as it goes. :)
 
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