Story with Ukulele
Born in Honolulu, Jake Shimabukuro started playing the ukulele at the age of four at his mother's insistence. He quickly developed a unique style that combined traditional Hawaiian techniques with elements of jazz, blues, funk, classical, and rock. Before his solo fame, he was a member of the award-winning trio Pure Heart.
In 2006, a video of Jake performing a solo arrangement of George Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' in Central Park appeared on YouTube. It became one of the platform's first major viral hits, accumulating millions of views and catapulting him to international stardom. This performance single-handedly shifted the public perception of the ukulele from a novelty toy to a serious solo instrument.
Jake is renowned for his lightning-fast strumming, complex fingerpicking, and innovative use of effects pedals like distortion and looping—territory previously reserved for electric guitarists. He has collaborated with legends such as Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, and Bette Midler, and was the subject of the documentary 'Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings'.
Featured Performance
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Central Park