Ukulele Enlightenment

Last week, I attended a Jake Shimabukuro ukulele concert at the ATT Show Box in Taipei.  Previously not even able to spell ‘ukulele’correctly, I had no expectations, but Shimabukuro, a native of Hawaii and accomplished ukulele player (ukulele-ist? ukulele-r?) delivered a first impression of the highest magnitude.

The night started with an upbeat number, containing harmonics you would have thought a ukulele might produce, that is, similar to a guitar but still within a ukulele’s natural limits. I found myself subconsciously settling into how I thought the night’s offering was going to play out.  However, all that was about to change with Shimabukuro’s opening follow-up, a rendition of Adele’s ‘Rolling In The Deep’. It was during this piece that the music starting taking on a life of its own, with Shimabukuro in the background, throwing his whole body into making music with the ukulele in every way fathomable. There was drum beating, string twisting, foot stomping, you name it, all coming from the petite framed Asian with a miniature guitar in his hand.

In one set, with the song ‘Dragon’, Shimabukuro played a tribute to his Rock n’ Roll heroes. This song which was born from his experimentation with Rock and Heavy Metal, showcased how, with some ingenuity, the ukulele can be used to produce so many different types of music. Heck, at one point, the ukulele even transformed into a samisen, delighting the audience with traditional Japanese tunes.

The possibilities on four strings and two octaves seem limitless with Shimabukuro. From a newbie perspective, the traditional sounds coming from a ukulele mostly fail to convey depth of feeling. However, Shimabukuro’s songs are rich and full, and at no point do you want for more in the delivery. Where there might be some gaps, Shimabukuro makes up for it with creative arrangements that play to the ukulele’s strengths. Shimabukuro’s magnificence lies in his ability to use this entirely different medium and method to deliver songs that still capture the essence of the originals, and which are in no way instrumental copies delivered on a ukulele.

In another set, Shimabukuro performed his song ‘Missing 3’, his accidental composition of only three strings (missing the third string). It was thoroughly enjoyable, though the main thing I got from this song was that the third string is really important. 

Another thing that strikes you about the music is that so many notes are being played at the same time. Eyes closed, you would think there were three ukuleles on the stage. At times I saw Shimabukuro flexing his arms on stage, and boy, you bet he needed to, with the way he was playing that thing. If he had broken his ukulele in half during a song, fingers bleeding and cramping a la Rafael Nadal at the US Open, I would not have thought it odd.

At other times Shimabukuro appears entranced in his own world.  The ecstasy Shimabukuro appears to feel when his fingers come off the strings pushes him further and further into a sophistication that sometimes produces melodies bordering on art form. Unfortunately for the audience, and especially for the casual listener, this is a place they cannot follow. Luckily though, once the ukulele prodigy had captured everybody’s imagination and had their undivided attention, he offered some lighter fare, pleasant melodies like a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ cover and his original ‘Blue Roses Falling’. All that seemed missing was some Spanish flavour, and when that was served, my palette was so content that I felt fine drifting to wherever the music wanted to take me. Soon it dawned on me that Shimabukuro‘s ukulele can be oh just so sublimely comfortable. It is music that could make the creative juices flow and coo one into slumber simultaneous.

But before the idea of me running to buy my very own ukulele fully formed, it was all over. Loitering about afterwards, I noticed many youngsters in the audience carrying ukuleles, many in groups, probably from high school ukulele clubs. I was witnessing the ukulele subculture firsthand. Why did they bring their ukuleles? Did they want to challenge the master’s superiority in a ukulele battle on stage? Or perhaps play along from the audience? Was it show of pride and solidarity for the Ukulele Community? Or more possibly, maybe Shimabukuro held a ukulele autograph session before the show? Anyhow, regardless of the reason, it was still a sight to behold.

The whole experience for me was a journey of ukulele enlightenment, one that has left me a wiser person. On the downside, I have become a more spoilt wise person because, how can I EVER listen to another ukulele with satisfaction again after THAT? 

Okay, self-indulgences aside, in the greater scheme of things, at least I will be more inclined to listen to a ukulele from now on thanks to Shimabukuro, and that is a win for the Ukulele Community.  With the prowess he possesses on strings, Shimabukuro could be a pro of any stringed instrument, but so evident his content in his current medium, Jake Shimabukuro is the poster boy for the modern day ukulele, and I’m sure the Ukulele Community couldn't agree more.