Ukulele Loka

Loka is a Sanskrit word. It's origin goes back thousands of years to the time of Proto-Indo-European nomads. Following their herds, they were constantly in search of pasture--vast grasslands and meadows where no dark forest canopies obscured the luminous bodies of the heavens. Eventually, the term came to denote luminous otherworldly realms wherein devas desport themselves divinely.

In the late 1800's, to the Hawai'ian islands, three Portuguese cabinet makers from the island of Madiera sailed, bringing with them an instrument dubbed the cavaquinho, with which they delighted the Hawai'ians in a manner that only musicians with Portuguese persuasions are capable. Here some Brazilians add their own inflection to that tradition:






Fashioned on the cavaquinho, they created the first ukulele.

Waikiki beach boys, through their influence on Hollywood, brought ukulele music to the mainland.



During the flapper era, it was not possible to buy sheet music in the States that did not have ukulele tabs.




It was during this era that Hollywood produced many misrepresentations of the South Pacific.

Since the Hawai'ian Renaissance of the 1970's Hawai'ians have popularized the ukulele in playing everything from slack key to rock.

Led Ka'apana.





Jake




Taimane's duende-infused aloha.




Ukulele music has generally not been a music played onstage by masters, but on porches, beaches or anywhere, by amateurs playing among friends and family. Bosko and Honey are a ukulele-wielding couple with a cult following worldwide who exemplify that fact. Here they play in a subway station while on their worldwide ukulele safari.




More Taimane:





AKAKA FALLS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cztIiciLUjE



http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Love-Polynesian-Pillow-Book/dp/0980029708