Taimane Tauiliili Bobby Gardner, (born February 13, 1989) who often performs under the

mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

Taimane, is an American

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. In 2019, she won a Nā Hōkū Hanohano award, for Favorite Entertainer of the Year. In 2019, Taimane Gardner's song, ''Water'', from her album
Elemental
was nominated for Instrumental Composition of the Year by Nā Hoku Hanohano Awards.

Early life

Gardner was born in

Honolulu, Hawaii 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 o ...

, to Jack and Elva Gardner, and is of Samoan,

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, French, and

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descent. Her name translates to ''diamond'' in the Samoan language. Gardner began playing the

at the age of 5 and attended

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 ...

’s ukulele school. She was discovered by legendary musician

Don Ho Donald Tai Loy Ho (August 13, 1930 – April 14, 2007) was a Hawaiian traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer. He is best known for the song "Tiny Bubbles" from the album of the same name. Life and career Ho was a singer of Native ...

at age 13 and also studied under

Jake Shimabukuro Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976) is a Hawaiian ukulele 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 writt ...

as a teenager. She graduated from the

Honolulu Waldorf School Honolulu Waldorf School, established in 1961, is a coeducational, independent school serving more than 300 children from early childhood through middle school located on the island of Oahu in the State of Hawaii. It previously included high school ...

before attending Kapiolani Community College.

Career

Taimane became a popular local musician on the

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

performance circuit as a teenager. In 2005, she released her first album ''Loco Princess''. Her album ''Life – The Art & Beauty of Being Human'' was released in 2008. Other released solo projects include ''Ukulele Dance'' in 2012, ''We Are Made of Stars'' in 2015, ''Elemental'' in 2018 and ''Hawaiki'' (2022). Taimane has performed internationally in Japan and

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

. Her album ''We Are Made of Stars'' was nominated for Ukulele Album of the Year at the 2016

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 ...

. Taimane has also been recognized for her cover medley performances, including a spot on the

Guitar World Magazine ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

Top 10 Ukulele Moments list. On March 13, 2020, Taimane had an NPR

Tiny Desk concert Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thomp ...

with over 1 million views.

Discography

Albums * ''Loco Princess'' (2005) * ''Life – The Art & Beauty of Being Human'' (2008) * ''Ukulele Dance'' (2012) * ''We Are Made of Stars'' (2015) * ''Elemental'' (2018) * ''Hawaiki'' (2022)

References

External links

Official Website
* * 1989 births Living people American people of Samoan descent Hawaiian ukulele players 21st-century American composers American women composers Musicians from Hawaii 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century women composers Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners Mountain Apple Company artists {{string-musician-stub