STAR-BULLETIN / 2002 Herb Ohta has recorded more than 60 albums since releasing his first in 1964.

Strum fest

2 events complement Roy Sakuma's
annual ukulele celebration

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By John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

Ukulele fans, this is your week! Roy Sakuma has been presenting his annual festival on the last Sunday of July for 32 years, but this year, there are ukulele events going on before and after the free concert at Kapiolani Park on Sunday.

The big event tomorrow night happens at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center where Lyle Ritz, Herb "Ohta-san" Ohta and "Jumpin' Jim" Beloff will play a free concert at 7:30.

Beloff, one of the leading promoters of the ukulele (and a serious musician and fan in his own right) recently has published two new songbooks, "Lyle Ritz Solos" and "Herb Ohta: Sophisticated Ukulele." Both books come with a CD that allows you to learn the traditional Hawaiian way by listening to the master and then trying to duplicate what you've heard -- or at least hear how it's supposed to sound!

STAR-BULLETIN / 2000 Roy Sakuma's talented kids hit the stage again.

Ritz shares 15 of his popular solos in which the melody and harmony are built into chord frames. Ohta presents a collection of pop, rock and local standards, along with five originals that show his skill as a composer.

Ritz has been a legend since the late 1950s when he recorded two milestone albums, "How About Uke?" and "50th State Jazz," for Verve Records. The albums didn't sell enough to warrant a third, and they've been out-of-print for decades, but it's amazing how many contemporary ukulele virtuosos credit Ritz's albums with turning them on to the possibilities of the instrument outside its familiar role in Hawaiian music.

Ohta is by far the most prolific ukulele virtuoso in history, with a discography estimated at over 60 albums recorded since his first was released in 1964. A superb technician, Ohta has used the ukulele across the spectrum of modern and classical music, from Bach to the Beatles.

Ritz and Ohta have previously toured and recorded together. Their live concert album for Beloff, "A Night Of Ukulele Jazz," may well be a preview of tomorrow night. In any event, the show will swing, and ukulele fans are welcome to bring their instruments and join in on the finale.

Both men also will be among the stars featured at Roy Sakuma's festival on Sunday. Sakuma always has a good mix of Hawaii residents and international players on the program. Yuji Igarashi, Kazuyuki Sekiguchi and Iwao Yamaguchi will be representing Japan, and Peter Luongo will be leading the Langley Ukulele Ensemble in its 12th annual appearance as representatives of the Canadian ukulele tradition.

STAR-BULLETIN / 2001 Lyle Ritz performs with Herb Ohta and "Jumpin' Jim" Beloff tomorrow.

Herb Ohta Jr. and Keoki Kahumoku, Kilinahe, Ernie Cruz Jr., and several "orchestras" made up of Sakuma's instructors and their students, will be among the local musicians participating.

And there's more: Sekiguchi, Yamaguchi and members of the Nihon Ukulele Association will play in the lobby of the Sheraton-Waikiki this afternoon at 4, Herb Ohta Jr. tomorrow afternoon and the Langley Ukulele Ensemble at 8:30 tonight and tomorrow night.

The celebration concludes with "Ukulele! The Legend Continues," featuring the Ohtas, Sekiguchi, Yamaguchi, the Langley Ukulele Ensemble and James Hill, in the Monarch Room at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The event is being co-sponsored by the Honolulu Rotary Club as a benefit for the "Winners Camp" program, and as part of the year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the hotel.

Lyle Ritz, Herb Ohta and Jim Beloff Where: Hibiscus Court Stage, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center When: 7:30 p.m. tomorrow Admission: Free Call: The Ukulele House at 593-8587 Roy Sakuma's 32nd Annual Ukulele Festival Where: Kapiolani Park Bandstand When: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday Admission: Free Call: 732-3739 'Ukulele! The Legend Continues' Where: Monarch Room, Royal Hawaiian Hotel When: 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday Admission: $25 Call: 923-7311

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