The Actual Story Of How The Ukulele Obtained Its Name

By Keola Kawanako


The ukulele can be described as Hawaiian musical instrument that has a resemblance to a little guitar. Even though it may seem like an acoustic guitar it is very different from an acoustic guitar. It's got four strings, as opposed to 6 strings like a guitar and it is tuned in a different way. It generally is tuned to GCEA, while a guitar is tuned to EADGBE. It is also played in another way. Although some ukulele enthusiasts will use a pick like most guitar players make use of, traditionally, an ukulele is strummed with the fingertips alone.

This musical instrument was first introduced to Hawaii in 1879. It's based upon two Portuguese musical instruments known as the rajao and the cavaquinho, which had been taken to The Hawaiian Islands through the early Portuguese immigrants, who arrived here to work on the sugar farms.

The vice-chamberlain of King Kalakaua, Edward Purvis,, listened to someone playing the cavaquinho and made a decision to find out how to play it. Purvis was a compact and extremely dynamic person. He strummed the cavaquinho with plenty of vitality and because of this; the Hawaiians gave him the nickname of "Ukulele", meaning jumping flea. He acquired this nickname simply because his dynamic performing style and tiny height reminded them of a jumping flea.

Subsequently, several cabinet makers from the Portuguese area of Madeira, built the very first ukulele, modeling it after the cavaquinho and rajao, which Purvis played so well. A person decided to apply Purvis's moniker to this innovative instrument and this is the way the ukulele received its name. The naming of this instrument is twice as apt, because numerous people point out that the fingers of an ukulele player resemble jumping fleas, specifically when they are actively playing a fast song.

From its modest origins in 1879, in Hawaii, the ukulele has turned into a well-liked musical instrument. In 1920, it first grew to become popular inside the U.S. throughout the Jazz age. And in the 1990s its reputation has begun to go up again by means of musicians like: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Jake Shimabukuro and even original Beatle, George Harrison.




About the Author:



You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

0 Response to "The Actual Story Of How The Ukulele Obtained Its Name"

Post a Comment

Powered by Blogger