Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976) is a Hawaiian
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
virtuoso and composer known for his fast and complex finger work. His music combines elements of jazz, blues, funk, rock, bluegrass, classical, folk, and flamenco. Shimabukuro has written numerous original compositions, including the entire soundtracks to two Japanese films, ''
Hula Girls
is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, E ...
'' (2007) and '' Saidoweizu'' (2009), the Japanese remake of ''
Sideways
''Sideways'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama road film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Jim Taylor and Payne. A film adaptation of Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, ''Sideways'' follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymo ...
''.
Well known in Hawai’i and Japan during his early solo career in the early 2000s, Shimabukuro became famous internationally in 2006, when a video of him playing a virtuosic rendition of "
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album '' The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While ...
" was posted on YouTube without his knowledge and became one of the first
viral video
A viral video is a video that becomes popular through a viral process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhong Lan, Alexander Haupt ...
s on that site. His concert engagements, collaborations with well-known musicians, media appearances, and music production have snowballed since then. In 2012, an award-winning documentary was released tracking his life, career, and music, titled ''Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings''; it has screened in a variety of festivals, aired repeatedly on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
, and been released on DVD.
Career
Early training and career as a band member
Shimabukuro was born in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, Hawaii, a fifth-generation descendant of
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
and Okinawans who immigrated to Hawaii. His mother gave him a ukulele at age four and he quickly took an interest in the instrument, playing it many hours a day. His mother, an accomplished ukulele player and singer, was his first teacher, and he also took lessons for seven years under Tami Akiyami at
Roy Sakuma
Roy Sakuma (born 1948) is a Hawaiian ukulele teacher and founder of the Ukulele Festival, the largest annual ukulele concert in the world. His support and teaching over the last forty years has helped fuel the ukulele's resurgence in Hawaii and i ...
Studios.
Shimabukuro initially gained attention in Hawaii in 1998 as a member of Pure Heart, a trio with Lopaka Colón (percussion) and Jon Yamasato (guitar/vocals). Shimabukuro was working at a music store in Honolulu when the group released its
eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ous first album, which won them four
Na Hoku Hanohano Award
The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...
s (the Hawaiian counterpart of the
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
) from the
Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
: Island Contemporary Album of the Year, Most Promising Artist(s), Album of the Year, and Favorite Entertainment of the Year, the latter determined by unrestricted public vote. The album, ''Pure Heart'', was also named one of the Top 50 Hawaiian albums of all time by ''
Honolulu Magazine
''Honolulu'' is a city magazine covering Honolulu and the Hawaii region. It dates back to 1888 when it was called ''Paradise of the Pacific.'' It is the oldest magazine in the state of Hawaii and is the longest published magazine west of the Missi ...
PBS Hawaii
KHET (channel 11), branded as PBS Hawai'i, is a PBS member television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands. Owned by the Hawaii Public Television Foundation, the station maintains studios on Sand Island Acces ...
(transcript) Video of episode .
The following year, they released ''Pure Heart 2'', which earned them another Hoku award for Island Contemporary Album of the Year. Yamasato left the group, and Shimabukuro and Colón formed another group, Colón, named in honor of Colón's father, famed percussionist Augie Colón. The new guitarist/vocalist to replace Yamasato was Guy Cruz, and Andrew McLellan joined on bass. The new group Colón released one album, ''The Groove Machine'' (2000), and won the Hoku Award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2001.
Solo career
Signing with Sony Japan
Shimabukuro decided to pursue a solo career as Colón disbanded in early 2002. With the help of his newly acquired manager, Japanese native Kazusa Flanagan, in June 2002 he became the first Hawaii artist to sign a recording contract with Epic Records International, a division of
Sony Music Japan International
, often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Group Corporation and is opera ...
. Shimabukuro toured extensively in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
– a practice he still continues – and from the start his albums received extensive airplay on various Japanese radio stations. He has also released numerous Japan-only CDs: ''Skyline'' (2002), ''Haruyo Koi'' (2007), ''Yeah'' (2008), ''Ichigo Ichie'' (2008), ''Annon'' (2009), ''The Music of Sideways'' (2009), ''Across the Universe'' (2009), ''Aloha To You'' (2011), ''Ukulele X: 10th Anniversary Collection'' (2011), ''Ukulele Disney'' (2012). In 2008, a 120-page biographical photo-book on Shimabukuro was published in Japan.
Sony Japan, however, only releases Shimabukuro's music in Japan, and to release the music in Hawaii, he created the
Hitchhike Records
Hitchhike Records is the U.S. record label of ukulele performer Jake Shimabukuro. It is based in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is the American distribution arm of his recordings for Sony Music Japan International, which he signed with in June 2002.
Sony J ...
label. Between 2002 and 2005, Shimabukuro released four U.S. albums as a solo performer: '' Sunday Morning'' (2002), '' Crosscurrent'' (2003), ''
Walking Down Rainhill
''Walking Down Rainhill'' is ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro's third U.S. solo album. It was released on August 24, 2004 on the Hitchhike Records label. In Japan, the album was released on June 28, 2004 by Sony/Epic.Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' (2005). All of them except ''Dragon'' won both Na Hoku Awards and
Hawaii Music Awards The Hawaii Music Awards were an annual people's-choice awards program established in 1996. The awards were organized and managed by the Music Foundation of Hawaii, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the diversity of music in Hawaii and ...
, and ''Dragon'' won the Hawaii Music Award for Best Rock Album and peaked at #5 on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s Top World Music Albums in 2005. As a solo artist, Shimabukuro experimented with using effect pedals to make new sounds that few would associate with an ukulele.
In 2005, he secured a nationwide U.S. distribution deal for his Hitchhike Records label, which had previously been confined to the Hawaii market. In 2005 he also did his first nationwide mainland U.S. concert tour, and released a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
of instructional segments, concert footage, and interviews called ''Play Loud Ukulele''.
Breakout success
In April 2006, Shimabukuro came to national and international attention when, unbeknownst to him, someone posted a virtuosic video of him playing
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
's "
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album '' The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While ...
" on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. The video, which had originally been filmed for a New York television show called ''Midnight Ukulele Disco'', quickly went viral, and has received over 15 million views. The video performance resulted in a huge increase in concert engagements, and Shimabukuro received collaboration requests from notable musicians including
Jimmy Buffett
James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...
,
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...
,
Ziggy Marley
David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician, actor and philanthropist. He is the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 20 ...
,
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
. He toured with Buffett in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and is featured on several of Buffett's albums and videos, including his 2007 CD/DVD release '' Live in Anguilla''. Shimabukuro also began receiving many invitations to perform on major U.S.
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
s and other well-known media ventures, and began touring worldwide eight or nine months a year.
Shimabukuro released his fifth U.S. album, '' Gently Weeps'', in September 2006. The album peaked at #2 on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s Top World Music Albums in 2006, and won the 2007 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Instrumental Album of the Year. Also in 2006, he composed the music to the
Japanese film
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2021, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. In 2011 Japan produced 411 feature films that ea ...
''
Hula Girls
is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, E ...
'', which featured hula dancing and a Hawaiian
spa resort
A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge and ...
as its primary theme and setting.
In 2009, Shimabukuro released his concert CD, ''
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
*Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of albums ...
'', which captures him in performance at various venues around the world: New York, Chicago, Japan, and Hawaii. It peaked at number 5 in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s Top World Music Albums in 2009 and 2010, won the Hoku for Instrumental Album of the Year, garnered Shimabukuro the award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year, and won the Hawaii Music Award for Best Ukulele Album. In November 2009, he accompanied fellow Hawaii-born
Bette Midler
Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...
at the ''
Royal Variety Performance
The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
''. They performed a rendition of the
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
song "
In My Life
"In My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It appeared on their 1965 album '' Rubber Soul''. Its lyrics were written primarily by John Lennon, credited to Lennon–McCartney. George Martin contributed the piano solo bridge.
...
" as the first of Midler's three-song set, and afterwards they met Queen Elizabeth and shook her hand.
2011 to present
''
Peace Love Ukulele
''Peace Love Ukulele'' is Jake Shimabukuro's 2011 solo album. It was released in January 2011, and reached #1 in ''Billboard charts, Billboards Top World Music Albums in 2011 and 2012.
In Hawaii, ''Peace Love Ukulele'' won the 2012 Na Hoku Hanoh ...
'', Shimabukuro's 2011 CD, reached #1 in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s Top World Music Albums in 2011 and 2012. It won the 2012 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Instrumental Album of the Year, and also garnered Shimabukuro the Na Hoku Hanohano award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year. Shimabukuro created an original piece "Ukulele Five-O" as part of the soundtrack for the new ''
Hawaii Five-0
Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to:
* Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series
* Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an Ame ...
'' television series. He capped off 2011 with several live performances on the New Year's Eve episode of ''
A Prairie Home Companion
''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...
'', broadcast live from Hawaii.
Shimabukuro's 2012 album, '' Grand Ukulele'', was produced by music producer/engineer
Alan Parsons
Alan Parsons (born 20 December 1948) is an English audio engineer, songwriter, musician and record producer.
Parsons was involved with the production of several notable albums, including the Beatles' ''Abbey Road'' (1969) and ''Let It Be'' ( ...
, at Parsons' request. It features a 29-piece orchestra and a rhythm section, with the ukulele soloing, and was recorded live with no over-dubbing. The album has reached #2 in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s Top World Music Albums.
In 2012, a one-hour
documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...
about Shimabukuro's life and career was released, titled ''Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings''. The film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the
Ashland Independent Film Festival
The Ashland Independent Film Festival is held in Ashland, Oregon, United States. It has been organized by the non-profit Southern Oregon Film Society since 2001. Founded by D.W. and Steve Wood, the festival is held each spring over five days at th ...
, the Audience Award for Best Documentary Film and the Best Editor award at the
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) – formerly known as VC FilmFest – is an annual film festival presented by Visual Communications (VC). It was established in 1983 by Linda Mabalot as a vehicle to promote Asian Pacific Ameri ...
, the Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature at the Urbanworld Film Festival, and the Best Medium Length/Essay Award at the DocuWest International Documentary Film Festival. The film aired nationally on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
in May 2013. It was released on DVD July 2013.
On February 14, 2020, Shimabukuro released his album ''Trio'' through Music Theories Recordings, which landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. That same year Shimabukuro announced his latest studio project, ''Jake & Friends'', but its release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 9th, 2021, he released the first two songs from the album: "
Two High
"Two High" is a song recorded by American alt-rock band Moon Taxi, and is the lead single off the band's fifth studio album, '' Let the Record Play''. The song was written by the band and was produced by guitarist Spencer Thomson. It was released ...
" with
Moon Taxi
Moon Taxi is an American indie-alternative rock band based in Nashville, Tennessee. The band was founded in 2006 by Trevor Terndrup (vocals, guitar), Tommy Putnam (bass), Spencer Thomson (guitar, programming), Tyler Ritter (drums), and Wes Bailey ...
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
. The full album was released on November 12, 2021, and also features collaborations with
Bette Midler
Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...
,
Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a ...
Shimabukuro has appeared and performed in a number of media outlets, including ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' (2005, 2008), ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' (twice in 2011), ''
Last Call With Carson Daly
''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with ''Th ...
'' (2007), ''
The Today Show
''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...
'' (2013), ''Musicians@Google'', and several
TED
TED may refer to:
Economics and finance
* TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar
Education
* ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association
** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey
** Transvaal Education Depa ...
conferences including TED2010, TEDxSanDiego, TEDxTokyo, TEDxHongKong, and TEDxHonolulu. He has been featured on ''
A Prairie Home Companion
''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...
'',
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
’s ''
Morning Edition
''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 AM ...
Public Radio International
Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States.
PRI was one of the main providers of programm ...
’s ''
The World
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
'', ''
Whad'Ya Know?
''Whad'Ya Know?'' is an American comedy, interview, and quiz radio show. Hosted by Michael Feldman, it was created in 1985. During its radio run, it was produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed through Public Radio International. Feld ...
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio (XM) was one of the three satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable television. Its s ...
.
Shimabukuro was featured on the January 15, 2012, episode of
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
's ''
The Next List
''The Next List'' is a 30-minute weekend television program on CNN. It aired every Saturday afternoon at 2:30 pm ET/PT and was hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
CNN announced cancellation in September 2013.
Each week, the show profiled inno ...
''. In March 2012 the documentary by Tadashi Nakamura on his life and career was released, ''Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings'', and it subsequently aired repeatedly on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
.
Instruments
Shimabukuro plays a custom-made 4 string tenor ukulele from
Kamaka Ukulele
Kamaka Hawaii, Incorporated, also known as Kamaka Ukulele or just Kamaka is a family-owned Hawaii-based maker of ukuleles. It is often credited with producing some of the world's finest ukuleles, and created the first pineapple ukulele. The compan ...
. Early in his career he experimented with the use of effect pedals, but for the last eight years has relied on the natural sounds of the ukulele and avoided sound manipulation. For his Grand Ukulele Tour, he has added the use of a couple of effects pedals to his show. One of them is used to take a sound sample that he loops and accompanies.
Charity
Shimabukuro was for many years the key spokesperson and then also director of the Music Is Good Medicine non-profit organization. It used community outreach programs and performance visits to schools, senior centers, and hospitals to promote healing and encourage a healthy lifestyle and a connection to music. He has also done several performances in tsunami-devastated
Sendai, Japan
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the ''daimyō'' Date M ...
in order to bring peace and respite to the distraught and newly homeless residents' lives.
Following the dissolution of the Music Is Good Medicine program, Shimabukuro founded his own non-profit organization, the Four Strings Foundation, in 2013. It creates music education workshops nationwide and provides ukuleles, materials, and training tools to schools and music teachers. It also hosts concerts and publishes music media, lobbies to increase music education, encourages schools to make music programs culturally relevant, conducts research in music education and children's social/emotional learning, and provides funding for music education in schools nationwide."Jake Shimabukuro launches non-profit for music education" ''
Guitar Player
''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print si ...
''. April 25, 2013.
Shimabukuro stated: "The Four Strings Foundation was created as a vehicle to give people opportunities to make a difference. My primary focus is to inspire kids through music to help them discover their passion in life. The message is simple – strive to be the best, live drug-free and have fun." The mission statement of Four Strings is: "To create new opportunities for people of all ages to participate in the act of making music and to use those experiences as a vehicle to promote personal empowerment and fulfillment."
Personal life
Shimabukuro married
OB/GYN
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...
physician Kelly Yamasato in May 2011. They have a son, Chase, born in August 2012.
Jake's brother, Bruce Shimabukuro, is also a well known ukulele player in his own right; he teaches ukulele and has released albums of his own. Bruce accompanies his brother on guitar on a track on ''
My Life My Life may refer to:
Autobiographies
* ''Mein Leben'' (Wagner) (''My Life''), by Richard Wagner, 1870
* ''My Life'' (Clinton autobiography), by Bill Clinton, 2004
* ''My Life'' (Meir autobiography), by Golda Meir, 1973
* ''My Life'' (Mosley a ...
'', and composed one of the tracks, "Ukulele Bros.," on ''
Peace Love Ukulele
''Peace Love Ukulele'' is Jake Shimabukuro's 2011 solo album. It was released in January 2011, and reached #1 in ''Billboard charts, Billboards Top World Music Albums in 2011 and 2012.
In Hawaii, ''Peace Love Ukulele'' won the 2012 Na Hoku Hanoh ...
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
.
Shimabukuro's career-long manager was Kazusa Flanagan, a native of Japan who moved to Hawaii in 1992.
Awards
Na Hoku Hanohano Awards
The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...
;Pure Heart member
* 1999 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: ''Pure Heart'' – Best Album of the Year
* 1999 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: ''Pure Heart'' – Island Contemporary Album of the Year
* 1999 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: Most Promising Artist (Pure Heart)
* 1999 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: Favorite Entertainer of the Year (Pure Heart)
* 2000 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: ''Pure Heart 2'' – Contemporary Album of the Year
;Colón member
* 2001 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: Favorite Entertainer of the Year (Colón)
;Solo artist
* 2003 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: '' Sunday Morning'' – Instrumental Album of the Year
* 2003 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: Favorite Entertainer of the Year
* 2004 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: '' Crosscurrent'' – Instrumental Album of the Year
* 2005 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: ''
Walking Down Rainhill
''Walking Down Rainhill'' is ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro's third U.S. solo album. It was released on August 24, 2004 on the Hitchhike Records label. In Japan, the album was released on June 28, 2004 by Sony/Epic.Gently Weeps'' – Instrumental Album of the Year
* 2010 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: ''
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
*Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of albums ...
'' – Instrumental Album of the Year
* 2010 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: Favorite Entertainer of the Year
* 2012 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: ''
Peace Love Ukulele
''Peace Love Ukulele'' is Jake Shimabukuro's 2011 solo album. It was released in January 2011, and reached #1 in ''Billboard charts, Billboards Top World Music Albums in 2011 and 2012.
In Hawaii, ''Peace Love Ukulele'' won the 2012 Na Hoku Hanoh ...
'' – Instrumental Album of the Year
* 2012 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: Favorite Entertainer of the Year
Hawaii Music Awards The Hawaii Music Awards were an annual people's-choice awards program established in 1996. The awards were organized and managed by the Music Foundation of Hawaii, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the diversity of music in Hawaii and ...
;Pure Heart
* 1999 Hawaii Music Awards: New Artist of the Year (Pure Heart)
* 1999 Hawaii Music Awards: "Koke'e" – Best Music Video (Pure Heart) (4 winners)
* 2000 Hawaii Music Awards: ''Pure Heart 2.5'' – Best Seasonal Album (Pure Heart)
;Solo artist
* 2002 Hawaii Music Awards: Mahalo Award, Studio Musician of the Year
* 2002 Hawaii Music Awards: "Ehime Maru" – Best Single Recording
* 2003 Hawaii Music Awards: '' Sunday Morning'' – Instrumental Hawaiian Album of the Year
* 2004 Hawaii Music Awards: Entertainer of the Year
* 2004 Hawaii Music Awards: '' Crosscurrent'' – Album of the Year
* 2004 Hawaii Music Awards: '' Crosscurrent'' – Instrumental Hawaiian Album of the Year
* 2005 Hawaii Music Awards: ''
Walking Down Rainhill
''Walking Down Rainhill'' is ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro's third U.S. solo album. It was released on August 24, 2004 on the Hitchhike Records label. In Japan, the album was released on June 28, 2004 by Sony/Epic.Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' – Best Rock Album
* 2008 Hawaii Music Awards: ''
My Life My Life may refer to:
Autobiographies
* ''Mein Leben'' (Wagner) (''My Life''), by Richard Wagner, 1870
* ''My Life'' (Clinton autobiography), by Bill Clinton, 2004
* ''My Life'' (Meir autobiography), by Golda Meir, 1973
* ''My Life'' (Mosley a ...
'' – Best Ukulele Album
* 2008 Hawaii Music Awards: ''
Hula Girls
is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, E ...
'' – Best Film Score
* 2010 Hawaii Music Awards: ''
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
*Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of albums ...
Walking Down Rainhill
''Walking Down Rainhill'' is ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro's third U.S. solo album. It was released on August 24, 2004 on the Hitchhike Records label. In Japan, the album was released on June 28, 2004 by Sony/Epic.Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
Hula Girls
is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, E ...
'' (2007) (film soundtrack)
* ''
My Life My Life may refer to:
Autobiographies
* ''Mein Leben'' (Wagner) (''My Life''), by Richard Wagner, 1870
* ''My Life'' (Clinton autobiography), by Bill Clinton, 2004
* ''My Life'' (Meir autobiography), by Golda Meir, 1973
* ''My Life'' (Mosley a ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
*Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of albums ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Peace Love Ukulele
''Peace Love Ukulele'' is Jake Shimabukuro's 2011 solo album. It was released in January 2011, and reached #1 in ''Billboard charts, Billboards Top World Music Albums in 2011 and 2012.
In Hawaii, ''Peace Love Ukulele'' won the 2012 Na Hoku Hanoh ...
'' (2011)
* '' Grand Ukulele'' (2012)
* '' Travels'' (2015)
* ''Live in Japan'' (2016)
* ''Nashville Sessions'' (2016)
* ''The Greatest Day'' (2018)
* ''Trio'' (2020)
* ''Jake & Friends'' (2021)
;Japan-only releases
* ''Skyline'' (2002)
* ''Haruyo Koi'' (2007)
* ''Yeah'' (2008)
* ''Ichigo Ichie'' (2008)
* ''Annon'' (2009)
* ''The Music of Sideways'' (2009) (film soundtrack to ''Saidoweizu'', the 2009 Japanese remake of ''
Sideways
''Sideways'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama road film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Jim Taylor and Payne. A film adaptation of Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, ''Sideways'' follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymo ...
'', composed by Shimabukuro)
* ''Across the Universe'' (2009)
* ''Aloha To You'' (2011)
* ''Ukulele X: 10th Anniversary Collection'' (2011)
* ''Ukulele Disney'' (2012)
DVDs
* ''Play Loud Ukulele'' (2005) (instructional, concerts, interviews)
* ''Million Miles Away'' (2005) (concert performance)
* ''Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings'' (2012) (documentary film featuring Shimabukuro)
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
, 2008. (Japanese biographical photobook)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
;Videos
*
*: Duet with
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...