You know what instrument rocks? The ukulele. Seriously, no lies. This past weekend I came to the comfortable terms that the ukulele does in fact rock. While most folk are quick to reach for their guitar, bass, banjo, or general string instrument, it's the ukulele that often gets mocked. But I'm here to tell YOU that the ukulele ain't nothin' to fu*k wit.
It's a Hawaiian instrument and the name translates as "jumping flea". It's basically a rip off of the Portuguese instruments called the cavaquinho and rajao. You can guess how they look. They're all pretty much mini-guitars, but other variations do exist. I bought a "small guitar" this past summer and everyone told me it was ukulele. Of course, I didn't want to accept this because the box says "guitar". Why would an Amish Flea Market lie to me? Low and behold, ukulele's have four strings. My "small guitar"? FIVE. In your faces, house guests!
Off the bat people associate this little bundle of awesome with the late Tiny Tim. In 1968 he had the hit "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". I grew up in the 80s and I still recall him showing up with his ukulele on random talk shows. He would be associated with the instrument until his passing in recent years.
In the late 90's, the ukulele had a huge resurgence. George Harrison, Greg Hawkes, Amanda Palmer, and a slew of others got into the piece late in the game. I think the problem is that Tiny Tim, while a great player, wasn't taken serious for his craft. With these circumstances and being the poster child for the instrument, it did no one any favors. I know I never really cared about it. It just seemed like either a joke or something Hawaiian people played at bonfires. It's not as if I went out of my way to mock it. It was just something I've always associated with silliness.
Then I was proven wrong.
I sat in bed watching You Tube randomness with a loved one. Out of nowhere, I came across a cover song done by The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Instantly my mind was blown. I had to watch more. I had to know more. I had to tell everyone.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain was formed in 1985 by a group of musician friends. Since then, the group has toured all over the world and has built a huge following. It's like a "underground" band with fandom spreading through word of mouth. In my case, word of mouth finally reached my ears some twenty five years after they got started.
To put it in perspective, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has played venues like Carnegie Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and even the Glastonbury Festival. They've been all over the television and have done many big festivals. They have eight studio albums, two live albums, a couple DVDs, and one of the most unique stories in music.
In August of 09, the group had a late night performance for the BBC Proms 2009 Season. They were live at the Royal Albert Hall and did something pretty magical. Close to a thousand fans brought their own ukuleles. Everyone joined together in a massive rendition of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". It's one of those things you have to see to believe….
While the initial reaction when seeing someone play the ukulele is to laugh, you soon find yourself amazed. I literally found myself laughing, but not in a "ha ha" kind of way. It was like this wave of nervous adrenaline and awe. You don't expect to see a group of people who carry themselves with pomp and class pull out a little sting guitar-like instrument and rock out. It's crazy on so many levels, but one of the coolest things I have ever seen. It's musical humor without the cheesiness that we've all grown used to through the works of others. In the mid 80's we were getting stuff like "Weird Al" and Great Britain got an orchestra of ukulele playing maniacs. I'm having trouble finding the fairness in that.
And while they are my favorite ukulele orchestra thus far, this insanity goes farther than the Great Britain group. With a little searching, it's pretty easy to find a lot more out there. I came across a few in the states. There's a Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra and a Denver chapter. In other counties as well. In New Zealand they have The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra. They have about a dozen performers in their band including Bret McKenzie. You might know McKenzie from his other job of being part of the "Flight of the Conchords" duo. I was already a fan of ukulele orchestras, but the fact that Bret is in one made me automatically accept its coolness.
There you have it. The internet wins again. I might not go out and buy CDs or my own ukulele, I have a "small guitar", but I will definitely keep my eyes out for one of these orchestras hitting up the states on tour. I'd love to see this stuff live.
What do YOU think? What other instruments do you think are underrated, disrespected, or being used in cool ways?
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