News from the Honolulu Uke Fest?

molokinirum

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Now that the Honolulu Ukelele Fest has happened.....any of the UU family that attended have any news, pictures or videos? Thanks!! :D
 
This year was my fifth year in attendance and I've never been disappointed. Roy Sakuma is an amazingly generous man who has kept the ukulele alive in Hawaii and has bred generations of ukulele players. Even Jake started out with him and has performed at the same festival as a student. Speaking of which, Jake gave props to brother Bruce when they performed one tune together. Nice to see. I've seen Jake many times and he is as predictably as good as ever. But the highlight for me was probably the 9 year old student (some one will help me with his name). Such skill, confidence and charisma. Watch out for him in a few years, he is star quality in the making. I always look forward to listening to Herb Ohta Jr's playing, so clean and pristine. One of those players who plays from the heart but is also technically spot-on. I could listen to him all day.

Admittedly I spent most of the time at the festival talking story to the other builders/manufacturers. All the major ones were in attendance. To my delight I even ran into MGM who was strolling about. For those of you who are concerned, he looks wonderful, like a Charles Atlas advertisement. The change in lifestyle has apparently done him good. Great to see you Mike!
Some body needs to explain to me what Ko'Aloha was doing with the trading cards and dog tags though. Despite Paul's trying to explain it to me, I still don't get it. Those guys crack me up. Always coming up with something new. Always innovating. They're wonderful people to know.

The Roy Sakuma festival has to be the best ukulele festival ever. It's hard to beat the surreal combination of the best non-stop (and on time) ukulele music you'll ever hear, the friendly ukulele vendors, awesome Kapiolani Park with it's canopy of (shower?) trees, the ideal Waikiki climate and the luscious warm Pacific lapping at the shores a few feet away. This is the only ukulele festival I ever need to go to. Be there next year!
 
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This is the only ukulele festival I ever need to go to. Be there next year!

Festival perhaps. But there is an awesome ukulele congress each summer in Indiana that would blow your flip-flops (or is it slippahs) off. You should come to that.
 
Chuck has said it well. Mahalo Roy Sakuma and crew!!
What a great festival in a great place with wonderful people, on stage and off!
Will post some pics when I return to to MKE tomorrow.
 
Thanks for the report, Chuck!

I watched some of the festival on my computer via live streaming video. One of my ukulele instructors, Ka'ala Carmack, performed with his advanced students, the J-Town Hui, in the first half hour. I also saw Victoria Vox, Ohta San, the Keiki Ukulele Band (always my favorite) and a bunch of other great perfomances. I had to be away from my computer when Jake perfomed, though. Attending the festival in person is definitely on my list of things to do.

Someone posted this video on YouTube on Sunday evening. I'm hoping that others (including the festival itself) post videos of individual performances.

 
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Festival perhaps. But there is an awesome ukulele congress each summer in Indiana that would blow your flip-flops (or is it slippahs) off. You should come to that.

You are correct Sukie. Indiana in the summer has Waikiki beat any day!

(now I gotta wake up from this dream I'm having.)
 
Thanks for the report, Chuck!

I watched some of the festival on my computer via live streaming video. One of my ukulele instructors, Ka'ala Carmack, performed with his advanced students, the J-Town Hui, in the first half hour. I also saw Victoria Vox, Ohta San, the Keiki Ukulele Band (always my favorite) and a bunch of other great perfomances. I had to be away from my computer when Jake perfomed, though. Attending the festival in person is definitely on my list of things to do.

Someone posted this video on YouTube on Sunday evening. I'm hoping that others (including the festival itself) post videos of individual performances.



That's right! I forgot about the live streaming video that brought the festival to people from around the world. That was a great addition this year.
I also need to mention I was particularly impressed with a high school (?) ukulele band that came from Guam. Guam, of all places. Some of those students were particularly good. You could sense their intense devotion to the ukulele.
 
Those two Video's looked like an AWESOME time!...

Thanks, mds725 for sharing!
 
This year was my fifth year in attendance and I've never been disappointed. Roy Sakuma is an amazingly generous man who has kept the ukulele alive in Hawaii and has bred generations of ukulele players. Even Jake started out with him and has performed at the same festival as a student. Speaking of which, Jake gave props to brother Bruce when they performed one tune together. Nice to see. I've seen Jake many times and he is as predictably as good as ever. But the highlight for me was probably the 9 year old student (some one will help me with his name). Such skill, confidence and charisma. Watch out for him in a few years, he is star quality in the making. I always look forward to listening to Herb Ohta Jr's playing, so clean and pristine. One of those players who plays from the heart but is also technically spot-on. I could listen to him all day.

Admittedly I spent most of the time at the festival talking story to the other builders/manufacturers. All the major ones were in attendance. To my delight I even ran into MGM who was strolling about. For those of you who are concerned, he looks wonderful, like a Charles Atlas advertisement. The change in lifestyle has apparently done him good. Great to see you Mike!
Some body needs to explain to me what Ko'Aloha was doing with the trading cards and dog tags though. Despite Paul's trying to explain it to me, I still don't get it. Those guys crack me up. Always coming up with something new. Always innovating. They're wonderful people to know.

The Roy Sakuma festival has to be the best ukulele festival ever. It's hard to beat the surreal combination of the best non-stop (and on time) ukulele music you'll ever hear, the friendly ukulele vendors, awesome Kapiolani Park with it's canopy of (shower?) trees, the ideal Waikiki climate and the luscious warm Pacific lapping at the shores a few feet away. This is the only ukulele festival I ever need to go to. Be there next year!

I think the 9 year olds name is Aiden.

Sorry I missed this year's event. I'll try and make it next year to meet up with you Chuck! Roy messed up the name of the scholarship (watched it online) saying my name was "Scott!" LOL!

I'm interested as heck to see what type of attachment Jake was using on his uke to hold it up. I've seen a couple of photos but can't make it out. There is no sound hole hook like he was using before.
 
I'm interested as heck to see what type of attachment Jake was using on his uke to hold it up. I've seen a couple of photos but can't make it out. There is no sound hole hook like he was using before.

It looks like a strap that attaches somehow at the ukulele's lower waist, between the upper and lower bout. I'm curious to know how it attaches. What it seems to do that a uke thong doesn't do is stay off the soundboard.

 
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I watched some of it online, watched a bit of the middle and then the last hr or so...LOVED the kid Adien, and the other boy with the one arm, something Casey...I forget, but they were both so very talented..
 
I'm interested as heck to see what type of attachment Jake was using on his uke to hold it up. I've seen a couple of photos but can't make it out. There is no sound hole hook like he was using before.

I saw Jake a couple of weeks ago at a local concert. I asked him about his strap - it is homemade with stuff that he got at Home Depot. It is a picture hanger wrapped in clear duct tape.
 
I watched some of it online, watched a bit of the middle and then the last hr or so...LOVED the kid Adien, and the other boy with the one arm, something Casey...I forget, but they were both so very talented..

Nick Acosta. What he can do with his elbow I can not do with five fingers!
 
I'm interested as heck to see what type of attachment Jake was using on his uke to hold it up. I've seen a couple of photos but can't make it out. There is no sound hole hook like he was using before.

It's Velcro. The fuzzy side is stuck on his uke and the hook-part is on a right angle bracket that is attached to the strap.
DSC06175.jpg
 
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