Seeking feedback on Videos of Hawaiian and Pop Culture Players

[UkeStuff]

Hello, all...

I want to put together some presentations with embedded videos of key Hawaiian players and Pop Culture Players. I need the videos to be school appropriate so that kids can watch them.

I have made a one collection of some historic players including Johnny Marvin, Roy Smeck, Ukulele Ike, George Formby, Arthur Godfrey, Tiny Tim, IZ, Jim Beloff, Jake Shimabukuro, and James Hill.

That collection is probably missing a couple of players, but is stressing the main historic figures that advanced the ukulele on the Mainland United States and thus Western world to about 2005 or so.

I'd love to include video of May Singhi Breen, but I don't know of any. I need to include Lyle Ritz in that list. Maybe J. Chalmers Doane? John King?

I'd also like to make companion presentations featuring master Hawaiian players, and another with pop musicians since 2005. Some personalities (e.g. Amanda Palmer) can be difficult to include due to language (George Formby with his double entendre music was a little hard to find...but there is "On the Beat" as a clean example).

For the Hawaiian masters, so far I've got:

Herb Ohta (Sr.), Eddie Kamae, Genoa Keawe, Jesse Kalima, Đon Ho, IZ, Jake Shimabukuro, Taimane Gardner, Aldrine Guerrero, Herb Ohta, Sr., Kalei Gamiao, Corey Fujimoto, Daniel Ho, Abe Lagrimas, Jr., Andrew Molina, Brittni Paiva, Ka'au Crater Boys, Kimo Hussey, Neal Chin

In terms of Pop Culture Ukulele Personalities (beyond the influencers above):

Eddie Vedder, Taylor Swift, Bette Midler, Ingrid Michaelson, Lenka, Jason Arimoto, Amanda Palmer (content?), Andy Eastwood, John King, Mike Lynch, Tobias Elof, Grace VanderWaal, Mandy Harvey, Twenty One Pilots, Feng E, Bruno Mars, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, Dodie Clark

There are a lot of other important players out there (and we're not even talking educators here), so who am I missing in the above categories? Is there anyone who shouldn't be on the lists? I can't include everyone, and no matter what, I'll miss someone. I'd appreciate your thoughts!

Additionally, if you have specific suggestions for someone's "best song" or a "best video," I'd appreciate that, too!

 

[Ziret]

Perhaps you could find covers of May Singhi Breen? As you clearly know, she’s super important, but a long time ago. You have a good list here.

 

[UkeStuff]

Perhaps you could find covers of May Singhi Breen? As you clearly know, she’s super important, but a long time ago. You have a good list here.

There are some covers, but I'd love to know if anyone has video of her. I fear that she is a victim of her time...kept off screen because she was a woman (and not a famous movie star). There is recording of her speaking in the first known audio session on YouTube, and there's a drawn photo of her at the ukulele hall of fame.

This is a cool segment about her ukuleles on Antique Road Show. https://www.pbs.org/video/appraisal-may-singhi-breen-ukuleles-xi4ryd/

 

[Brad Bordessa]

Your Hawaiian list needs Peter Moon, Don Baduria, and Eddie Bush.

A lot of the kids on that list are great players, but came up well behind your 2005 time frame. Kalei, Brittni, Corey, Andrew, Aldrine, Taimane are all pretty much my peers. We have all been influenced by the players you're presenting.

 

[man0a]

Willie K, Kelly Boy Delima, Bill Tapia, Bennie Nawahis, Ernest Ka'ai, Ledward Kaapana, Troy Fernandez, David Kamakahi, Imua Garza

 

[badhabits]

Brad Bordessa!

How about Chris Salvador, Troy Fernandez, Herb Jr (Sr mentioned 2x), Bryan Tolentino, Benny Chong, Byron Yasui..and Sungha Jung.

 

[man0a]

Aldrine and friends discuss their biggest ukulele influences, especially Tin Pan Alley, Lyle Ritz, Eddie Kamae, Ohta-San, Peter Moon, Troy Fernandez, and Jake Shimabukuro: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2018/12/tll-podcast-40-ukulele-legacies/

 

[PeteyHoudini]

This is a cool segment about her ukuleles on Antique Road Show. https://www.pbs.org/video/appraisal-may-singhi-breen-ukuleles-xi4ryd/

Too bad the video is not available anymore. Sounds interesting.

 

[UkeStuff]

Too bad the video is not available anymore. Sounds interesting.

The short clip still loads here; I wonder if it is blocked in Canada?

 

[PeteyHoudini]

The short clip still loads here; I wonder if it is blocked in Canada?

Thanks. It's blocked. We have legal Mary Jane in Canada but no free May Breen. lol She seems very interesting.

 

[deadpool]

uhh, George Harrison......

 

[UkeStuff]

uhh, George Harrison......

I’m not sure that Harrison had much impact on the worldwide acceptance of the ukulele, as much as it was clear—especially after the break-up of the Beatles—how much he loved them. In fact, you can make an argument that the popularity of the Beatles and their use of the guitar led to the end of the second wave of the ukulele.

 

[PeteyHoudini]

Hey, I was just responding to Choirguy and the last 1/4 of my text got DELETED!!! Why? Is there a text limit?

 

[PeteyHoudini]

I will reprise my message mañana.

Pedro

 

[Ziret]

I’m not sure that Harrison had much impact on the worldwide acceptance of the ukulele, as much as it was clear—especially after the break-up of the Beatles—how much he loved them. In fact, you can make an argument that the popularity of the Beatles and their use of the guitar led to the end of the second wave of the ukulele.

In addition to this, I don't think Harrison did much to advance to repertoire of songs, or to push any boundaries as a player. He seemed to like to play it in much the way many of us do--playing songs with alone and with friends--but not as a career. He was famous, he played ukulele, probably many times better than I do, but he was not really a groundbreaking ukulele player.

 

[Ziret]

A good way to research the influence of George Harrison is to go to a board like FMM and do a search. It goes back to last century and you may find posts from early this century which have some indication of George's role in motivating a person to pick up the ukulele. Also search on Joe Brown's finale at the Concert for George.

I think it is likely that Joe and George motivated people to start playing, rather than having anything to do with adding to the repertoire. People watched Joe play and recalled George's affair with the ukulele and they wanted to play ukulele, I don't think they cared what the repertoire was, they just bought a uke and started with a book like the Flea Bag (https://www.ukulele.org/downloads/fleabagall.pdf) which was full of corny old songs everyone knew and was a free download, and started playing alone and in groups.

Also, there is the famous quote published by Jim Beloff in one of the Jumpin' Jim books handwritten by George Harrison. You can find it all over the internet if you look, with all the reference to Jim Beloff's book edited out. Look up Jim's memories of meeting George to get the content, you can find that as well. The meeting seems to have been in 1999, long before many of us could even spell "ukulele". https://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/jim-beloff

If you are making a serious attempt to produce a long lasting credible history video set, maybe you could even reach out to Jim Beloff to get some input? His books have been the meat and potatoes for many players since last century.

I loved Joe Brown's finale. What a sweet song, and sweet playing. I think a lot of people were influenced by that. I laughed at your comment, "long before many of us could spell 'ukulele.'" I played when I was a kid, but when I took to this forum and had to spell it as an adult, with spell check, I was surprised to find I couldn't! And you are right, Jim Beloff's input would be invaluable. It would take some nerve to ask, though. Chris's students are lucky to have such a devoted and knowledgeable teacher.