Since
its introduction to Hawai‘i in 1879, the ‘ukulele has been many things:
a symbol of an island paradise; a tool of political protest; an
instrument central to a rich musical culture; a musical joke; a highly
sought-after collectible; a cheap airport souvenir; a lucrative
industry; and the product of a remarkable synthesis of western and
Pacific cultures. The ‘Ukulele: A History explores all of these facets, placing the instrument for the first time in a broad historical, cultural, and musical context.
Drawing
on a wealth of previously untapped sources, Jim Tranquada and John King
tell the surprising story of how an obscure four-string folk guitar
from Portugal became the national instrument of Hawai’i, of its
subsequent rise and fall from international cultural phenomenon to “the
Dangerfield of instruments,” and of the resurgence in popularity (and
respect) it is currently enjoying among musicians from Thailand to
Finland. The book shows how the technologies of successive generations
(recorded music, radio, television, the Internet) have played critical
roles in popularizing the ‘ukulele. Famous composers and entertainers
(Queen Liliuokalani, Irving Berlin, Arthur Godfrey, Paul McCartney,
SpongeBob SquarePants) and writers (Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, P. G.
Wodehouse, Agatha Christie) wind their way through its history―as well
as a host of outstanding Hawaiian musicians (Ernest Kaai, George Kia
Nahaolelua, Samuel K. Kamakaia, Henry A. Peelua Bishaw). In telling the
story of the ‘ukulele, Tranquada and King also present a sweeping
history of modern Hawaiian music that spans more than two centuries,
beginning with the introduction of western melody and harmony by
missionaries to the Hawaiian music renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s.
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