The Gift From Far Away
Denver’s Uke Community Produces Sweet Melody
By Dave Felice
Denver’s annual “Ukefest” mirrors the traditional Hawai’ian kanakpila, a gathering of ukulele players for music and socialization. The rest of the year, ukulele players get together every third Saturday at Swallow Hill Music Center, for the meeting of the Denver Uke Community (www.Den-Uke.com).
“People are drawn to the ukulele because of its sweet melodic sound,” says Sam Rosen of Holualoa, Hawai’i. Rosen, who describes himself as an old uke maker and teacher, says the instrument is associated with Hawai’i because the islanders enthusiastically adopted the uke from Portuguese sailors in the 1870s.
Doug Brown, who goes by the online name of “Uke.Skywalker,” leads Denver’s Uke Community. As a ukulele instructor, Brown is an unabashed promoter of the instrument, describing it as “super, accessible, portable, and approachable.”
Brown says members of the uke community are very supportive of their fellow players, and that newcomers are always welcomed and encouraged.
According to Rosen, Hawai’ians quickly embraced the little four-stringed guitar-like instrument because of its upbeat sound, which was different from other Polynesian music. King David Kalākaua ardently supported the Portuguese import. Today, he is known as the Patron of Hawaiian Music Culture.
The ukulele developed from the machete, braguinha, and cavaquinho instruments carried by sailors on the Portuguese fishing boats that roamed the Pacific Ocean. Sailors liked the instruments because of their small size.
Rosen says having only four strings and small size makes the ukulele easy to learn to play. In Hawai’ian, the name originally meant “jumping flea,” because of the upbeat sound and quick finger movements. Queen Lili’uokalani reportedly didn’t like the name and changed the meaning to “gift from far away.”
Hawai’ians demonstrated the instrument and their virtuosity at the Pan Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1913.
After working in jewelry manufacturing in Southern California, Rosen moved to The Big Island of Hawai’i nearly 40 years ago, seeking something different. He teamed with a local high school woodshop teacher about 1999 and has been making ukuleles ever since. He says he makes about two instruments a year, and his ukuleles have gone all over the world.
Rosen is a member of the Hawai’i ukulele maker’s guild. His friend, Leo Koschella, join him about six years ago, moving from Reno, Nevada.
Although it is possible to buy a ukulele for under $50, Rosen says prices for good instruments range from $500 to $5,000. He says there is very little negotiation on the price. Most ukes are made from Hawai’ian koa or mango wood, 3/32” thick. Rosen says any wood can be used depending on the desired sound.
Denver Uke Community leader Doug Brown says the monthly meetings cater to all skill levels without distinction. After starting with two- and three-chord music from a songbook, players move into a song circle, and then to solo performances.
He says members, including some from Park Hill, range from toddlers to near centenarians, but generally membership is in the 30-50 year old range. One couple even travels from Vail for the meetings.
“It’s a terrific little instrument,” says Brown. He says popularity has grown in recent years because there is so much material on the Internet to help people learn.
Internationally-know players such as Jake Shimabukuro, known for lively finger work, and Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole, recognized for his platinum-awarded version of “Over the Rainbow,” have helped popularize the ukulele.