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Course:HIST104-99C-Mahalo-Ukelele

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Ukelele(or Ukulele)

A Typical Ukulele

From its humble origins as the Hawaiian take on a Portuguese banjo-like instrument, first introduced in the late 1800's, the ukulele has come a long way. Nowadays, a multitude of different brands produce cheap ukuleles for the masses. One such brand is the Mahalo, a name derived from the Hawaiian word for "thank you". Mahalo Ukuleles are produced by the Team International Music Co., Ltd company.[1] The Team International company seeks to provide cheap, easily accessible, yet quality ukuleles and other instruments such as guitars, etc.

History and Development

Origin

The ukulele was developed in Hawaii by Portuguese craftsmen and instrument makers who were heavily influenced by the Portuguese instrument the machete. Many Portuguese settlers came to Hawaii to work on the sugar crops which enabled them to start new lives and heavily influence the native culture in Hawaii. This would be considered a vital contact zone which led to the development of this amazing instrument.[2] Soon after their arrival in Hawaii in 1875, ukuleles were being sold to the public, and by 1899, the ukulele was the most popular instrument in the Hawaiian islands. This was made possible by King Kalakaua, who was the most recent king of the kingdom of Hawaii, before take over by the United States. Being an avid user of the Ukulele, Kalakaua was able to integrate it into Hawaiian culture by giving it generous exposure.[3]

The Ukulele's Early Manufacturing and Emergence in the mainland United States

Henry Kailimai’s Hawaiian Quintet, Hawaii Building, Panama-Pacific International Exposition

Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, was the first major city to begin Ukulele manufacturing mostly because of its booming furniture trade. Hawaii received many Portuguese immigrants, namely Dias, Nunes and Santo, who were skilled cabinetmakers according to their emigration files.[4] While working for one of Hawaii’s furniture firms, they were able to try their hand at instrument making, and Dias, specifically, was one of the first documented guitar makers in Hawaii.[5]The first instruments developed carried Portuguese titles; however the term Ukulele became the popular choice for Hawaiians.
Eventually the ukulele became a symbol of Hawaii’s native culture. This was aided by King Kalakaua, leader of the late 19th century Hawaiian cultural and traditional revival movement. [6] This local popularity fuelled more competition between manufacturers and starting in 1911 there was a noticeable shift from traditional, hands-on craftsmanship production techniques to mass production techniques that aimed at churning out 500 to 600 ukuleles a month.[7] Not only did local demand rise during this period but mainland interest was also building. Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1897, and the growing tourism industry, recording industry and Hawaii’s international popularity made the ukulele a popular souvenir for mainlanders on the west coast of the United States.[8]The controversy surrounding the annexation pushed Hawaii into the international spotlight as awareness of the islands grew. This awareness allowed musical expositions to bring about Hawaii’s musical culture which would feature the already popular ukulele, in cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago and New Orleans. [9] Live performances that featured the ukulele, hula dancers, other instruments and model size Hawaiian landmarks engaged a mainland audience who enjoyed listening to this new style of music. The emergence of the recording industry made this music more accessible across the mainland as word of this art form spread. [10] However, this music was not always accompanied with an explanation about where it came from or the instruments used, thus the ukulele was still relatively obscure in the early 20th century.[11]
Some companies still took the risk of manufacturing and marketing their own ukulele designs for American consumption. C.F Martin and Co. attempted their first line in 1907 which ultimately failed because the instrument itself was categorized as “odd”. [12] In January of 1912 a Broadway play titled: “The Bird of Paradise” opened to a large mainland audience that witnessed traditional Hawaiian musicianship and the ukulele as a prime component of the beautiful soundtrack that accompanied the play. [13] Furthermore, California’s close proximity to the islands and their port of contact in San Francisco made the ukulele an easily shippable commodity that garnered a lot of popularity with young college students.[14] Eventually, it was felt that there was a national market for the ukulele as many companies began to sell their versions of the instrument. These ukuleles diverged from the traditional aesthetic and were offered in playful colors to the general public at affordable prices. From this, the original purity of Hawaiian music and the ukulele was lost to mainland commercialism. However, the “island-made” quality is still sought after despite the different versions that were, and continue to be, manufactured.
The 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition sparked a very powerful interest by the Americans in the relatively new instrument.[15] The shear success of this event was reflected by the 250% increase in number of ukuleles produced by Hawaiian manufacturers in one year.[16]


Miss Hawaii 2010 in a Mahalo post

Success of Mahalo

From the huge success rate in the United States, the ukulele proceeded to different countries around the world, which lead to the need for the mass production of the instrument. Successful companies that produce the ukulele include Mahalo, which in order to be a successful company, abides by the business world strategy of achieving maximum profits. One can see how mass production and the need for maximum productivity with minimum costs have taken the production of Mahalo Ukuleles to China, which has extremely low production costs.
The popularity of Mahalo Ukuleles is noteworthy because it illustrates quite well the phenomenon of globalization. The ukulele originated as a native Hawaiian adaptation of a Portuguese instrument which was primarily used in Hawaii until it was eventually exported and incorporated into many musical movements in the United States and elsewhere, is now being mass produced by a company situated in China. Like so many other products in the 21st century, Mahalo Ukuleles, even though they still maintain ties to their country and culture of origin (Mahalo Ukuleles is a sponsor for the Miss Hawaii competition),[17]are produced in very different circumstances. From a traditionalist point of view, this may be slightly off-putting, but from a practical standpoint, there are many benefits to the production of accessible instruments such as Mahalo Ukuleles.

Musical and Social Value

What makes the ukulele particularly unique, and perhaps what contributed to its rise in popularity, is the sheer size and affordability of the instrument. A "standard" ukulele (in other words, the traditional Hawaiian model), is about half a meter in total length, featuring four strings, and, being an acoustic instrument, is relatively light.[18] The physical dimensions of this instrument and its musical potential make it a prime candidate for a easily accessible musical instrument for young children and travelers alike. Canadian educator and musician J. Chalmers Doane, realizing the potential for ukuleles to be used as a means of encouraging musical education, even initiated a program in the 60s to use ukuleles to teach students music.[19] Ukuleles stand because their portability and the fact that they can easily be played (two important factors that many other popular instruments lack in the same degree) make ukuleles, and more specifically, affordable Mahalo Ukuleles, prime candidates for spreading musical education across borders and generations.
The importance of musical literacy should not be overlooked either. Many social movements are spurred forward by musical means. Ukuleles, for instance, were involved with the Jazz movement of the early 1900s. Performers such as Don Ho, who popularized the instrument, also drew (perhaps not consciously) public attention to the culture of Hawaii, which also served an important social purpose as it raised public awareness of Hawaiian traditions and politics.

Famous Ukulele players

As the ukulele has grown in popularity, a number of players have caught the public eye. These figures have had varying levels of influence on the cultures surrounding them, ranging from minor changes to altering the views of entire generations. The following is a selected list of a few of these ukulelists.

Cliff Edwards.

Cliff Edwards

Cliff Edwards (1895-1971), or “Ukulele Ike,” was an American singer/actor during the early twentieth century. As a jazz singer, he learned the ukulele so that he could self-accompany his voice. Edwards performed many popular songs which would go on to be popular in the 1920s, and was at the forefront of a surge in popularity of the ukulele during the same time period. He also appeared in many movies and produced music for them. Perhaps some of his best known pieces work in the current day are his renditions of “Singin’ in the Rain” from the musical with the same name, “When You Wish Upon a Star” in his role as Jiminy Cricket in Disney’s “Pinocchio,” and “When I See an Elephant Fly” from Disney’s “Dumbo.”[20] His presence in the music and motion picture worlds solidified him as an important figure in pop culture history.

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole (1959-1977) was a Hawaiian musician active during the 1990s. He is commonly known for his “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” medley, which has been widely used in popular media. Kamakawiwo’ole was a supporter of Hawaiian rights and independence, using his music to reach a wide network of listeners. His death was observed by the state of Hawaii, and his funeral was attended by approximately ten thousand people, showing his influence on his community.[21]

George Formby

George Formby

George Formby (1904-1961) was a British comedian/musician who played a “banjolele” (a mix between a banjo and a ukulele) to augment his singing style. His songs were often full of sexual innuendo, but his singing and use of the ukulele presented an innocent appearance in stark contrast of his lyrics. His musical style incorporated a unique “split stroke” that was one of the defining points of his audio identity. The dichotomy of his act and his charisma allowed Formby to rise to prominence as a comedian. Formby appeared in many movies in the 1930s and 1940s, and influenced British comedians even into the modern era.

George Harrison

George Harrison (1943-2001) was an English musician and a member of The Beatles, one of the fundamental pop music groups in the second half of the twentieth century. George Harrison was a fan of George Formby, being a member of the George Formby Society, and paid tribute to him in multiple songs done by The Beatles.[22] Harrison and The Beatles influenced the music world, as one of the most celebrated and acclaimed acts in history, and their influence is still present in modern day, being listed collectively as one of the most influential figures in history by Time Magazine.[23]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.teamintlco.com/Aboutus/aboutus.asp
  2. ↑ Norden, Ernest E.. "Portuguese Americans". Multicultural America. 2009-02-23.
  3. ↑ New History of the Origins and Development of the 'Ukulele, 1838-1915 Author: King, John; Tranquada, Jim Date: 2003 Publisher: Honolulu, Hawaiian Historical Society Citation: Volume 37
  4. ↑ King, John, and Jim Tranquada. "A New History Of The Origins And Development Of The "Ukulele, 1938-1915." Hawaiian Journal Of History 37.(2003): 1-32. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. pg 6.
  5. ↑ Ibid., pg 11
  6. ↑ Ibid., pg 14
  7. ↑ Ibid., pg 18
  8. ↑ Ibid., pg 19
  9. ↑ Ibid., pg 19
  10. ↑ Ibid., pg 20
  11. ↑ Ibid., pg 21
  12. ↑ Ibid., pg 21
  13. ↑ Ibid., pg 22
  14. ↑ Ibid., pg 21
  15. ↑ Lipsky, William (2005). San Francisco's Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Arcadia Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7385-3009-3.
  16. ↑ New History of the Origins and Development of the 'Ukulele, 1838-1915 Author: King, John; Tranquada, Jim Date: 2003 Publisher: Honolulu, Hawaiian Historical Society Citation: Volume 37
  17. ↑ http://www.teamintlco.com/Mahalo/endorsees.asp
  18. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukulele#Sizes
  19. ↑ Karr, Gary, and McMillan, Barclay (1992). "J. Chalmers Doane". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. University of Toronto Press. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  20. ↑ “Pinnochio 70th Anniversary Edition,” Disney http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/pinocchio.html?int_cmp=d2c_AFC_Insider__Pinicchio%2070th%20Anniversary%20Platinum%20Edition_Intl (accessed March 28, 2012)
  21. ↑ “Isles bid aloha, not goodbye, to ‘Brudda Iz’,” Star Bulletin, http://archives.starbulletin.com/1997/07/10/news/story3.html (accessed March 28, 2012)
  22. ↑ BBC Radio 4, George on George, Radio Broadcast (BBC, 2004)
  23. ↑ “The Beatles,” Time Magazine, http://web.archive.org/web/20080822101414/http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/beatles.html (accessed March 29, 2012)
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