07-25-2006, 04:23 AM
A response to Carrie's contribution:
That's Jake Shimabukuro and he's good enough to have been signed by the William Morris Agency. He's got a few CDs out and he tours. But keep an ear out for another more local kid, Kristopher Fuchigami, a junior at Kea'au High School. He won a scholarship award at this year's Honoka'a Music Festival. I saw him at the East Hawaii Cultural Center's Big Island Hawaiian Music Festival this past weekend. Whoa, watch out Jake! This kid even played a few of Jake's flashier compositions. He doesn't have a stage presence, yet, but he's a gem! Another young person who is a flash on the uke, who has developed a really good stage presence, is touring, and also has a couple of recordings is Brittni Paiva. She was also at the festival. She started playing ukulele late, at age 11; she released her first CD at age 15, and is now 16! She's not quite as fast as Kristopher, but she can write and arrange, and has already started her professional music career. So, if you like what Jake did on that video clip, buy his CDs and Brittni's, and watch for Kristopher Fuchigami. They are all uke players, by the way.
Oh, you want a URL? Check out the East Hawaii Cultural Center's site so you don't miss next year's festival.
http://www.ehcc.org/
This year, it was two days: uke, steel guitar, and falsetto singing on Day 1, kiho'alu (slack-key guitar) on Day 2. It finished with a 10-person kani ka pila with Ikaika Marzo and his "uncles". Most of them are from Kalapana. It was some of the best Hawaiian music you'll find in any one place and time. (Also, there was an opportunity to see Konabob onstage, looking a bit nervous about being on the east side...)
One more site of a similar bent, the Volcano Art Center, for cultural events and classes,
http://www.volcanoartcenter.org/
Les C
That's Jake Shimabukuro and he's good enough to have been signed by the William Morris Agency. He's got a few CDs out and he tours. But keep an ear out for another more local kid, Kristopher Fuchigami, a junior at Kea'au High School. He won a scholarship award at this year's Honoka'a Music Festival. I saw him at the East Hawaii Cultural Center's Big Island Hawaiian Music Festival this past weekend. Whoa, watch out Jake! This kid even played a few of Jake's flashier compositions. He doesn't have a stage presence, yet, but he's a gem! Another young person who is a flash on the uke, who has developed a really good stage presence, is touring, and also has a couple of recordings is Brittni Paiva. She was also at the festival. She started playing ukulele late, at age 11; she released her first CD at age 15, and is now 16! She's not quite as fast as Kristopher, but she can write and arrange, and has already started her professional music career. So, if you like what Jake did on that video clip, buy his CDs and Brittni's, and watch for Kristopher Fuchigami. They are all uke players, by the way.
Oh, you want a URL? Check out the East Hawaii Cultural Center's site so you don't miss next year's festival.
http://www.ehcc.org/
This year, it was two days: uke, steel guitar, and falsetto singing on Day 1, kiho'alu (slack-key guitar) on Day 2. It finished with a 10-person kani ka pila with Ikaika Marzo and his "uncles". Most of them are from Kalapana. It was some of the best Hawaiian music you'll find in any one place and time. (Also, there was an opportunity to see Konabob onstage, looking a bit nervous about being on the east side...)
One more site of a similar bent, the Volcano Art Center, for cultural events and classes,
http://www.volcanoartcenter.org/
Les C