History of the Ukulele

The history of the ukulele is a fascinating one, indeed. It first appeared when a Portuguese immigrant landed in Hawaii and was overjoyed to be there. He took out the original instrument that was of Portuguese origin and began to play and leap around on the docks singing Portuguese folk songs. The Hawaiians were so taken by this display, and the musical instrument itself, that it soon became integrated into Hawaiian music, but with slight modifications, which birthed the modern form of the ukulele.

It's even suggested by some people that the name "ukulele" refers to the jumping Portuguese who introduced the instrument, rather than the fingers that pluck the instrument like a hopping flea. No one really knows for sure now, but the name ukulele really does literally translate to "jumping flea."

The Hawaiian Influence on Society

This instrument might have not had as big an impact on Hawaiian society if the royal class of Hawaii hadn't picked it up and promoted it. There were members of the royalty, specifically the Queen Lili'uokalani, that took it upon herself to use it to accompany the Hawaiian anthem "Aloha Oe." Having this type of prestige, soon everyone in Hawaii admired the versatility of this tiny instrument.

Even though it was very popular in the islands, the ukulele didn't become popular in the United States until about 1915. At that time in the history of the ukulele, the Panama Pacific International Exposition was held in San Francisco. It launched an interest in Hawaiian music in the United States.

From there, the ukulele started showing up in vaudeville acts and further influenced Jazz performers. It became hugely popular after World War II as GIs brought back ukuleles from the South Pacific as souvenirs. By the 1960's the trend had faded a bit, even though performers like Tiny Tim were still avidly plucking away.

Resurgence in the 1990's

Between the 1960's and the 1990's, interest in the ukulele died down a bit, thus this was a low point in the history of the ukulele. It wasn't until into the 90's that a man named Jim Bellof went to a local flea market and discovered a ukulele there. It inspired him to write some songs and distribute them, and the love of the ukulele soon took off again. Even now, you can go to some places on the West Coast, like Seattle, and find at least four radio stations with Hawaiian music featuring the ukulele.

Whether you are a beginner or a pro, if you are in the market for a new ukulele, I strongly recommend you check out my favorite online music store, Musician's Friend . . .

Return to Home Page from History of the Ukulele

Enter your search terms Submit search form