‘Jimmy Hendix’ of the ukulele to play USU
The Beatles bring to mind many things, like guitars, screaming fans and – the ukulele?
Well, maybe not everyone thinks of a ukulele, but Jake Shimabukuro does.
Shimabukuro is a world-renowned musician who has been called “the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele” by critics. And on Monday night, he will bring his talent to perform at the Kent Concert Hall as part of ASUSU’s Arts and Lecture Series.
But this native Hawaiian doesn’t just stick to the old-fashioned Hawaiian tunes. His unique style includes classical, rock, blues and of course, the Beatles. George Harrison, who was a fanatic of the “uke,” is one of Shimabukuro’s heroes, so he has covered many Beatles songs as a way to showcase his instrument.
“I’ve always thought the ukulele was an untapped source of musical potential,” Shimabukuro said in an interview following his most recent Japanese tour. “I want to expose more and more people to the ukulele in this new fashion, changing people’s perspective of the instrument – or just opening up their minds to the new possibilities of it.”
And Shimabukuro is doing just that. Already, the 27 year old has toured across America and Japan, been featured in media across the globe, including the LA Times and USA Today, performed with Grammy Award-winning artists and released three solo albums with a fourth to be released Oct. 4.
Along with many musical credits to his name, according to Grammy Magazine, Shimabukuro is also known for his “outgoing personality and warm heart.” He frequently visits schools around Hawaii and is the current spokesperson for the “Music is Good Medicine” program. Shimabukuro’s Japanese heritage also has helped elevate him to stardom in Japan, and in 2004, he was named Hawaii’s Goodwill Ambassador to Japan.
With such credit to his name, ASUSU said they were excited to bring the star to USU. Katie Walker, ASUSU’s performing arts chair, said she didn’t know what to expect when she first heard about Shimabukuro, but now can’t wait to see the show.
“The more I found out about him, the more excited I got,” Walker said. “This is a really good chance for [students] to see something that they normally wouldn’t have access to.”
Walker said Shimabukuro’s skills are a lot more than expected from a ukulele player.
“He’s figured out all kinds of creative things with the ukulele,” Walker said. “He even uses a wah-wah pedal.”
The ukulele was introduced into Shimabukuro’s life at age 4 when his mother started to teach him how to play.
“When I played my first chord, I was hooked,” Shimabukuro said. “I fell in love with the instrument.”
Since then, Shimabukuro has been entertaining audiences all over the world. He just became the first ukulele player from Hawaii to sign with Epic Records International, which is a division of Sony Music International. Critics have argued that he has “done more to advance the capabilities of his instrument than anyone before.”
“He has fingers faster than the best rock guitarists,” the Yomiuri newspaper in Japan said.
But although Shimabukuro has said he hopes to widen the perspectives of people about the ukulele, he also shares others’ emotions about the instrument.
“A lot of people think of the ukulele as a toy,” he said. “I certainly do. When I’m on stage, I want people to see that it’s fun to play. I’m having a ball, I hope they do too.”
Shimabukuro will kick off the show at 7 p.m. Monday in the Kent Concert Hall. Tickets are $10 or $3 for students.
-bmnelson@cc.usu.edu