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Tribute celebrates 125
years of ukuleles
Today is "Ukulele Day in Hawaii," honoring the 125th anniversary of the islands' musical icon.
From 7 to 9 p.m., a ceremony recognizing the day will be held in the renovated Mission Memorial Auditorium, located on the Civic Center Grounds, makai of the State Capitol and between Honolulu Hale and the Sky Gate sculpture.
The anniversary also commemorates the Honolulu arrival of the Barkentine Ravenscrag, a Portuguese ship that departed from Madeira, bringing 419 Portuguese men, women and children to settle in Hawaii. Aboard the Ravenscrag were the men who invented, built and popularized the ukulele.
A stellar lineup of entertainers will be demonstrating the many ways that the ukulele can be played, from traditional Hawaiian to Tin Pan Alley and jazz numbers.
Musicians participating in the commemoration program will include Aunty Genoa Keawe, Alfredo Canopin, Fred Fallin, Ian Masterson, Taimane Gardner, Fred Fallin, Portuguese fado singer Josephine Correra and friends, and children from Roy Sakuma's Super Keiki and Mel Murata's Keiki Palaka Band.
Herbert Carlos will emcee the event, sponsored in part by the Hawaii Council on Portuguese Heritage through support from the State Foundation of Culture and the Arts.
Admission is free, but seating is limited due to the 350-person seating capacity of the auditorium. Parking is free at the municipal parking lot between Alapai and Beretania streets.
Call 254-1444.
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