Believe it or not, the ‘ukulele is actually the descendant of a 4-stringed musical instrument called the machéte (also called the braguinha) from Portugal.

As the story goes...

On August 23, 1879, the Ravenscrag, a British ship from the island of Madeira, Portugal arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii. After a long, difficult journey, the weary passengers & crew were thrilled to have finally reached their destination. According to the legend, a passenger by the name of Joao Fernandes jumped onto the wharf & began singing & playing Portuguese folksongs of thanks for the safe passage. The gathered group of Hawaiians were moved by his performance & couldn’t help but to notice the curious little instrument he was playing.

There are lots of theories as to how the ‘ukulele got its name. The one I tend to favor compares the fingers of an accomplished player “jumping” up & down the fretboard. Hence “Ukulele,” which in Hawaiian means “jumping flea”.

(Hey!--Now that “My dog has fleas” tuning phrase makes sense!)

Back to the Ravenscrag, it just so happened that there were three other guys on board that fateful day in 1879.-Augusto Dias, Manuel Nunes & Jose do Espirito Santo, all talented craftsmen (cabinet makers). Dias & Santo were also both talented musicians. It is these 3 men that would play a role in the development & popularization of the modern-day ‘ukulele.

OK-OK, now for a phonics lesson...

Let it be known now & forever more that there is only one correct pronunciation. If you can remember this, it will also help (you as well as others) with how ‘ukulele is spelled. The Hawaiian pronunciation is: “oo-koo-le-le,” not “you-koo-le-le” as it is commonly pronounced on the mainland.

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Mahalo nui loa for taking the time to read a little bit about the humble beginnings of my favorite stringed instrument, the ‘ukulele.

ALOOOHA!

ukulelerob