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Nedward Ka’apana caught in Action!

I say caught because Ned is one of those great players that you couldn’t find a video of online. You can learn some about Ned from his brother’s website   –

As teenagers, Led and his twin brother Ned and cousin Dennis Pavao formed the Hui Ohana, one of the hottest groups of the 70s and 80s and now legendary among Hawaiian musicians.

So Nedward is Ledward’s twin brother! They grew up in Kalapana on the Big Island of Hawaii. Playing music was what they did. There were no video games, there was no cell phones and iPads. They took music traditional Hawaiian music to another level. Ned left that ambition and now teaches ukulele to kid’s. Truly a nice man and I am glad to showcase him here at The Review.

Mailani and Dr. Trey – Original music with Rippin’ Ukulele! – Video & Tabs!!

I had not seen Treacy Terada in a few years so I took a drive down to the windward side to see what this old friend is up to. About a stones throw from the Kanilea factory is Four Strings Studio. This haven of musical aspiration has been Dr. Trey’s work station for as long as I have known him. He recorded and produced Jake Shimabukuro’s first four albums here along with many other diverse projects.

Sing the Body on the Twilight Zone against the Ukulele Wall with a Pono

I just wanted to see how ridiculous of a title I could use on this one. Zack and Eli from the store were playing when I came into the shop last night. Zack had just gotten a Pono a few weeks ago and was writing this song about an episode of the Twilight Zone where a man refuses heaven because …

The Ukulele in Modern Pop and Alternative Music

a beautifully filmed performance at the UK MTV awards of Bruno Mars playing his Pono Tenor Ukulele. A good example of the ukulele in the most current, popular music of the day. Bruno’s album is at #1 on the pop charts in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Austria, Belgium (isn’t that a waffle?)
As musical trends spread through our “connected” world, there is more exposure to diverse musical approaches than ever before. Genre’s are now melting together and influences include 10, 20, 80 GB of harddrive space from 6 different genre’s in your average musicians iPod……Ingrid Michaelson, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Portishead, Florence and the Machine, and many others. Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” has sold over 4 million copies and spent 22 weeks at No.1 in the adlult contemporary chart,…….this comfort sized instrument has proved to be the perfect harmonious companion to many great songs, and it is getting more love than ever.

3 Ukulele Players Highlighted

Here is a some unreleased footage from our Ukulele Keaka series for your enjoyment!
The first performance is from the one and only, Mr. Kimo Hussey. Kimo has the ability,like all great musicians, to take a song and make it his own. I could tell Kimo’s playing from a mile away because his style is so distinctive and ….delightful! This link is to a post showing some of his workshop

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The Ukulele Keaka

I built Higher Ground with the same principle that has me up at night doing videos instead of eBay listings – The principle that if you do good things for the community, the money side of things will take care of itself….Unfortunately for Higher Ground, that was not totally the case, but it was fun, AND we have a ton of unreleased footage!! I am going to start putting it on The Ukulele Review exclusively! We want to have our own community of uke enthusiast. A portal of inspiration and education. So let your friends know, because we got some guys comin’ up that you probably have not heard yet. Up next is a young man named Kuhio, and his voice will blow you away.

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Ukulele Performances from NAMM 2011!

this year it was great to see the ukulele captivating many genres and musicians! I was lucky enough to capture some footage at the show and after show to give you a piece of the Ukulele talent at NAMM 2011. Playing for Kala this year was the ingenious Canadian, James Hill. James is flowing in music and thought. Listening to him play, or even talking with him has an almost calming effect because he is so captivating. James has a multitude of styles and techniques that cross boundaries and fascinate a diverse crowd. He is an entertainer, an educator, and a testament to the Langley Ukulele program.Another highlight from the show was Aldrine Guerrero playing at the Kanilea Booth. His rhythm and percussive strumming has so much energy it is exciting to watch and hear.

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Abe Lagrimas Jr. – The greatest Jazz Ukulele player – ever!

Abe’s tasteful yet exciting melodies move through bright and thoughtful lines into a flury of emotion and expression. The pure musical gift this young man has along with the fat tones of his tenor Ko’olau make this live performance a wonderful reminder of the infinite capabilities and applications of this small instrument. Abe maintains a warmth and fullness in the high register where guitar often gets thinner sounding. The tone Abe gets here is an ideal Jazz solo tone. Guitar players should recognize the advantages to the voicing of an ukulele!

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The Slack Key master at Higher Ground’s Ukulele Keaka

Growing up in Kalapana, on the Big Island, young Ledward learned how to play from his uncles who taught him the “Jus’ Press” method. Good advice for all of us. Just press down on the string and make sounds. It’s like the Taoist approach to guitar. Led’s use of chromatisism shows the fact that you are never more than one note away from a “right” note, or a note in any key. Led walks right up to that note with a playful resolve, having fun with a guitar or ukulele like a Harlem Globetrotter does with a basketball.