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The ukulele (/ ˌ juː k ə ˈ l eɪ l i / ooh-kə-LAY-lee; from Hawaiian: ʻukulele [ˈʔukuˈlɛlɛ]), also called a uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii.
In Hawaiian ʻūkēkē means to quiver. The instrument nearly went extinct until Mahi La Pierre studies old Hawaiian music and attempted to make one. He was successful in the recreation of the instrument, and the Papahan Kuaola organization is now devoted to preserving the memory of the ʻūkēkē and its effect on the Hawaiian culture.
The instrument became very popular in Hawaiian culture as it was the first introduction to a melodic instrument. A majority of Hawaiian songs involve the ukulele and many have begun playing the instrument from around the world. In Hawaiian, ukulele literally means "flea (uku) jumping (lele)."
Eddie Leilani Kamae was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised both there and in Lahaina, Maui.His grandmother was a dancer for King David Kalākaua's court. [2]He learned to play the 'ukulele [3] with an instrument his bus driver brother found on the public transport.
Ernest Kaʻai (1881–1962) was considered by many to have been the [1] foremost ukulele authority of his time and is noted by some as being "Hawaii's Greatest Ukulele Player". Kaʻai, who was born in Honolulu , Hawaii , was said to have been the first musician to play a complete melody with chords.
Kamakawiwoʻole is regarded as one of the greatest musicians from Hawaii and is the most successful musician from the state. [2] [3] Along with his ukulele playing and incorporation of other genres, such as jazz and reggae, Kamakawiwoʻole remains influential on Hawaiian music. [4] He was named "The Voice of Hawai‘i" by NPR in 2010. [5]
"My Little Grass Shack" is a hapa haole song, "a hybrid genre that mixed American jazz and dance rhythms (swing and foxtrot), Hawaiian instrumentation (such as the steel guitar and ukulele), and lyrics in both English and Hawaiian" [12] (hapa haole means "half foreign" and is also used in a literal sense to mean "multiracial").
He did extensive research into the history of classical guitar and the ukulele, writing numerous essays. He wrote an encyclopedia of Hawaiian luthiers. He was working on a history of the ukulele with Jim Tranquada at the time of his death which was published in 2012, The Ukulele: A History, published by the University of Hawaii Press.