Jake Shimabukuro: Difference between revisions
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*[http://www.hawaiiromancefestival.com/ Jake Shimabukuro featured at the Waikiki Shell, Hawaii Romance Festival, May 2008] |
*[http://www.hawaiiromancefestival.com/ Jake Shimabukuro featured at the Waikiki Shell, Hawaii Romance Festival, May 2008] |
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*[http://pacificcitizen.org/site/details/tabid/55/selectmoduleid/373/ArticleID/458/reftab/36/title/Japanese_American_Ukulele_Player_Strikes_a_Chord_/Default.aspx Jake Shimabukuro feature by the Pacific Citizen newspaper, Oct. 2009] |
*[http://pacificcitizen.org/site/details/tabid/55/selectmoduleid/373/ArticleID/458/reftab/36/title/Japanese_American_Ukulele_Player_Strikes_a_Chord_/Default.aspx Jake Shimabukuro feature by the Pacific Citizen newspaper, Oct. 2009] |
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*[http://www.human2stay.com/article.php?subaction=showfull&id=1269289722&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3& Interview with Jake Shimabukuro] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shimabukuro, Jake}} |
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[[Category:Musicians from Hawaii]] |
[[Category:Musicians from Hawaii]] |
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Revision as of 20:40, 22 March 2010
Jake Shimabukuro |
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Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) is a ukulele virtuoso known for his complex finger work[original research?]. His music combines elements of jazz, rock, and pop.[1]
History
Shimabukuro's mother gave him a ukulele at age four, and he was hooked from the first chord he played. A fifth generation Japanese American[2], Jake initially gained attention in Hawaiʻi in 1998 as a member of Pure Heart, a trio with Lopaka Colon (percussion), and Jon Yamasato (guitar). Jake was working at a music store in Honolulu when the group released their eponymous debut album, featuring a sound and style somewhat similar to the Kaʻau Crater Boys. Their debut album won them four Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Hawaiian counterpart of the Grammy Awards): 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 following year, they released Pure Heart 2, which earned them another Hoku award for Island Contemporary Album of the year. Jon informed the others that he was quitting the group via a newspaper story that ran in the Honolulu Advertiser on Thanksgiving Day, and Shimabukuro and Colon formed another group, Colon, which they named in honor of Colon's father, famed percussionist Augie Colon. The new guitarist was Guy Cruz, younger brother of the Kaʻau Crater Boys' Ernie Cruz, Jr., and John Cruz. Colon won the Hoku Award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2001, after which Jake decided to pursue a solo career.
As a solo artist after the break-up of Colon he experimented with using effect pedals to make new sounds that no one would associate with a tiny, four-stringed, two-octave, "novelty" instrument. He has released an instructional DVD called "Play Loud Ukulele.", and in 2006, composed the music to the Japanese film Hula Girls, which featured hula dancing and a Hawaiian spa resort as its primary theme and setting respectively.
In November of 2009 Jake accompanied fellow Hawaiian born Bette Midler, at the Royal Variety Show. They performed a rendition of the Beatles song In My Life as the first of Midlers three-song set.
Personal
Shimabukuro stopped using his trademark horn rimmed glasses in 2007 and made other dramatic changes to his appearance.
Media
Discography
Pure Heart
- "Pure Heart" (1998)
- "Pure Heart 2" (1999)
- "Pure Heart 2.5 Christmas" (1999)
Colon
- "The Groove Machine" (2000)
Solo
- Sunday Morning (2002)
- Crosscurrent (2003)
- Walking Down Rainhill (2004)
- Dragon (2005)
- Gently Weeps (2006)
- My Life (2007)
- Live (2009)
Singles
- Ehime Maru (2001)
Contributions
- Song of America (2007) - "Stars & Stripes Forever"
DVD
Television
Japan
- NHK Ongaku Yume Club (音楽・夢くらぶ) - May 12, 2005[3]
- 57th Kōhaku Uta Gassen - December 31, 2006, alongside Rimi Natsukawa[4]
- NHK Live in Shibuya: Instrumental Music Concert, February 22, 2007[5]
USA
- KHON-TV, Honolulu, Jake Live in Japan - September 2003
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien - December 2005
- Last Call with Carson Daly - February 2007
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien - February 2008
Australia
- Spicks and Specks, ABC TV, 24 September 2008
United Kingdom
- Royal Variety Performance with Bette Midler - Blackpool, Lancashire, ITV, December 2009
Instruments
Jake plays a custom-made 4 string tenor ukulele from Kamaka Ukulele. Jake uses a Line 6 Pod XT Live and AnalysisPlus Cables. [6]
References
External links
- Official website
- YouTube clip of live collaboration with beatboxer Jason Tom
- Jake in Concert on midnight ukulele disco
- Jake Shimabukuro collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Interview with Jake Shimabukuro 2009
- 2006 Shimabukuro Interview from Modern Guitars Magazine
- 2006 Shimabukuro Interview on NPR
- 2006 Shimabukuro Interview from AsiaXpress.com
- A biography and listing of Shimabukuro's albums from Sony Music Entertainment Japan
- [1] - Photos from live show
- Jake Shimabukuro featured at the Waikiki Shell, Hawaii Romance Festival, May 2008
- Jake Shimabukuro feature by the Pacific Citizen newspaper, Oct. 2009
- Interview with Jake Shimabukuro