The Annual Ukulele Festival is held each July in Hawaii. It was founded in 1971 by Roy Sakuma with the support of the Waikiki Department of Parks. The event draws large crowds to listen to free concerts by both amateur and top ukulele musicians.
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Origins
In 1970, Roy Sakuma was working as a groundskeeper for the Waikiki Department of Parks. At lunch one day, Sakuma and his colleagues envisioned an ukulele concert. With the support of his supervisor, Sakuma worked with the department and the Hawaii International Ukulele Club to put together the first festival at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand in Waikiki in 1971.
Ukulele Festival Hawaii organization
In 1994 Roy and Kathy Sakuma formed the non-profit Ukulele Festival Hawaii, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, to provide for the ongoing support of the annual event. In addition to the main event in Waikiki, the organization provides support to other festivals on the islands of Oahu, Waikoloa, Kauai and Maui (established 2006).
The organization also provides a number of scholarships for high school students embarking on a college career. In addition to completing an essay, applicants must also have a passion for the ukulele.
Key performers
In 1985, Sakuma went looking for the man who had created two ukulele jazz records 25 years earlier that had become classics to the Hawaiian ukulele players, How About Uke? and 50th State Jazz. Sakuma located Lyle Ritz in California and convinced him to pick up the ukulele again and come play at the festival that year. Ritz then moved to Hawaii and performed at many of the following festivals as well.
In 1994, James Ingram, the Grammy Award-winning pop artist, met Sakuma while they were exercising on the tracks of the University of Hawaii. Ten years later the two composed “Come and Join Us” which has become the theme song for Ukulele Festival Hawaii organization. The 2004 Hawaii Music Awards awarded the “Single of the Year" to the composition.
Master of Ceremonies
Danny Kaleikini has served as the Festival’s official emcee for over 35 years, first appearing in 1973. Kaleikini often serves as emcee at the other ukulele festivals as well.