Mighty Uke

Last night we went to see the latest movie at the Doris Duke Theater.  The Chinese film festival has ended. The next series of films will be surfing films.  But in between a documentary film, Mighty Uke, was shown.    You can see the trailer for the film here.  It was quite interesting and engaging.  I never really thought much about the ukulele.  They seemed to me to be just a novelty and something that some people in Hawaii play.

Every year we have been here we've avoided Kapi'olani Park on the Sunday in July when they have their Ukulele Festival Hawaii.  We've avoided it because we anticipated parking problems, especially since as part of the program they have over 800 people, mostly children, playing the uke at the same time.

Since we've seen the film I've investigated the event a little further.  It is coming up on July 18.  There's no need for us to worry about parking because there is a shuttle bus every 30 minutes from the Kapi'olani Community College, which is about two blocks from here.

At least two of the people we saw in the film will be playing there (solo, not with 800 people).  One of them is especially impressive, Jake Shimabukuro.  You can here him play several different pieces on YouTube:  Let's Dance,  While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Thriller, and The Star-Spangled Banner, among others.

I guess we have no reason to avoid the festival this year.