INTERING RECORDS James Ingram joins Roy Sakuma at the annual ukulele fest.

---

Ingram graces
uke fest

Singer James Ingram may be best known for his collaborations with Michael McDonald, Linda Ronstadt and Patti Austin, but it's the song "Come and Join Us" which veteran ukulele teacher Roy Sakuma holds dear to his heart.

Starbucks 35th Annual Ukulele Festival With James Ingram, Raiatea Helm, Herb "Ohta-San" Ohta, Daniel Ho, JOY, Holunape, Nihon Ukulele Association, Keale Ohana, Roy Sakuma's 800-piece Ukulele Band and emcee Danny Kaleikini Where: Kapiolani Park Bandstand When: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday Admission: Free Call: 779-5546 or 551-8533 Also: Ukulele Masters Concert in the Courtyard (with special guest James Ingram) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, 2365 Kalakaua Ave. Admission is also free.

The affable Sakuma and low-key and kindly Ingram composed the song's melody together one morning, knocking it out in basically two hours' time at Sakuma's studio.

A year-and-a-half after the two completed the theme song specifically for Sakuma's annual ukulele festival, the two are still an mutual admiration society of sorts. Sakuma considers the song a measure of Ingram's generosity, and for Ingram's part, the singer just thinks of the song he donated to the festival as a gift to a good friend.

"Roy's heart is just so big," said Ingram via phone from his studio in Los Angeles. "You just fall in love with him as a human being ... Roy and his wife, Kathy, are members of our family now."

"It's such a good friendship," said Sakuma of his friend Ingram, who is currently at work on two new albums. "I'm just so appreciative of his heart and his openness. It's been so special to see him come to Hawaii, sing in the festival and just be a part of it."

The spotlight will once again shine on the humble, little four-stringed instrument, with the fest including performers like Daniel Ho, Herb "Ohta-San" Ohta, and Ingram, who are all donating their time.

"I'm just an old guy," said Ingram graciously. "The festival is really about the kids." (Sakuma always features his humongous uke children's orchestra at the annual event.)

IT WAS a chance meeting that brought the two together in 1993. Sakuma first mistook the singer -- a serious runner whose trainer has him fight jet lag by jogging -- for an athlete training on the University of Hawaii-Manoa running track and started chatting with him. After befriending Ingram, whose name he didn't recognize, Sakuma gave him and the members of his travel party tickets for a cruise the following night.

It wasn't until Sakuma's wife, Kathy, was watching TV later that day and saw the singer performing during the Pro Bowl that she realized whom her husband had met at the track.

"Kathy said 'That's the guy you ran into?' ... (Roy) just knew me as another human being," said Ingram.

It was an attitude Ingram appreciated. Sakuma and Ingram soon became friends, and the relationship has grown such that their families have vacationed together, with Ingram participating in the ukulele festival several times.

At the urging of Ingram's wife, Debbie, Sakuma and Ingram came up with the song "Come and Join Us," which the duo had talked about doing several times but had never set aside time for. After the basic structure of the song was in place, Ingram took the demo back home to Los Angeles. Upon finishing the lyrics and the arrangement, the singer sent the song back to Sakuma in January 2004 as a surprise for the festival. (Daniel Ho also contributed to the final arrangements of the song.)

Kathy Sakuma describes the ukulele festival as a great family event.

"The music is excellent, from the professional singers on down to the children. You're going to see children, parents and grandparents. There will be swarms of children walking around with their ukuleles. It's just such a positive feeling."

"The reason I put on the festival is because there was so little interest in the instrument originally," said Sakuma. "I thought if people could just understand the capabilities and the versatility of the ukulele, (it would be appreciated). But today, when you mention the word ukulele, it's reached the prominence of the guitar. There won't just be Hawaiian music at the festival, there will be R&B, Latin, bossa nova."

In addition to "Come and Join Us," Ingram will sing his classic singles hit "Just Once," and the duet "Somewhere Out There" with singer Rocky Brown, backed by 250 of Sakuma's students. But, as Ingram said, "I'd help out Roy if he was in the trucking business. It just so happens that he's a musician, too. I think we were supposed to meet."