Art of the New Ukulele

Nonfiction: Essay/Review/Research Paper on Asian American musician, Jake Shimabukuro

I first heard about Jake Shimabukuro from a "Musics of World Cultures" class back in community college, when my professor introduced him in one of the videos on Hawaiian music. Besides hula, my professor showed clips of ukulele performances by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and Jake Shimabukuro. The latter musician had actually toured and performed in my college a few weeks before my professor had introduced Jake to us. I immediately regretted not watching his performance after listening to several of his works. The live video recording of "Crazy G" impressed me, especially how Jake interacted with his audience when they asked him to play faster. A friendly musician, Jake Shimabukuro wields his custom ukulele and transforms many pieces, from the "Star-spangled Banner" to the Japanese traditional music "Sakura, Sakura" according to his instrument. His music combines stylistic elements from various genres: pop, rock, jazz, bluegrass, flamenco, classical and Japanese folk. And having recorded several albums and performed at various places, Shimabukuro has gained national and international renown, and his musical experimentations made him known as the Jimi Hendrix of the Ukulele.

In this essay, I give a brief biography of Jake Shimabukuro's life and an overview of his works. Next, I will examine two recordings done by the experimental ukulele star, and I shall express my own interpretations of them, their differences in style, arrangement and meaning. Afterward, I examine several interviews that highlight his identity development, musicianship, and how feels as an Asian American artist. My paper also discusses how various media portray Shimabukuro and his music, both in the United States, as well as his image in Japan. Further, I shall compare his music to taiko, on how his music differs from taiko's ethnic and cultural values and its emergence in the United States.

According to his official website, Jake's mission is to "show everyone that the ukulele is capable of so much more than only the traditional Hawaiian music many associate it with." My paper argues that this statement extends to the Asian Pacific American, that an ethnic minority could also be an instrument of unimaginable possibilities. I shall discuss here on how Shimabukuro, the representative artist, proves that his experimental music transcends race, ethnicity and stereotypes.

Biography and Overview

Jake Shimabukuro is a fifth generation Japanese American born on 1976 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother is fourth generation having roots from Hiroshima, Japan. His father, on the other hand, is second generation, with roots from Okinawa. Before pursuing a solo career, Shimabukuro joined the group Pure Heart, a trio with Lopaka Colon (percussion) and Jon Yamasato (guitar). Pure Heart gained attention in Hawaii in 1998 and 1999 when their albums won the Island Contemporary Album of the Year award consecutively. In 2001, Shimabukuro separated from the group and started experimenting with his ukulele and various electronic effects. In 2002, he produced his first solo album Sunday Morning, which had pieces that involved several genres including bluegrass, jazz, classical, salsa/flamenco, pop and rock. For several years he has both rearranged various folk, jazz, pop and classical pieces while developing his own original works that mix compelling sounds and influences. Well known for his friendly demeanor and lightning-fast strumming, he has performed and toured across the nation, as well as in Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia. Indeed, according to an article by Rick Landers, the State of Hawaii has named Jake Shimabukuro as a Goodwill Ambassador (Landers). By 2007, this artist has produced six recordings in the U.S. and has shared his music and performance around the globe, through tours and the Internet. He is currently under the Sony Music Japan International record label.

In the U.S., Shimabukuro has released 6 solo albums: Sunday Morning (2002), Crosscurrent (2003), Walking Down Rainhill (2004), Dragon (2005), Gently Weeps (2006), My Life (2007). Interestingly, his albums feature only two rearranged Japanese pieces: "Hikaru Kaigara" from Walking Down Rainhill and "Sakura" from Gently Weeps, whereas his Japan-exclusive CDs such as Yeah (2008) have more rearranged Japanese melodies. The differences between Japan released albums and albums cited in Shimabukuro's official website and store shall be discussed later in this paper.

Analyses of Recordings

"Dragon" from the album Dragon (2005)

The repetitive, catchy solo melody plays continuously until 0:28, when percussions come in just before violas or cellos. Shimabukuro plays the same thing while violins do special sounds, but after the first minute, the ukulele and violins duet with their own styles and music, a battle wherein the violins play harmoniously beautiful while the ukulele responds with simple plucks. The ukulele seems passive while other strings seem more creative and lovely. At 1:33, Shimabukuro starts up his catchy melody again, accompanied by percussions and strings. A dramatic and sentimental crescendo of strings in the background grows and grows until finally, the ukulele does a solo reminiscent of a mandolin's sound. Strings and drums slowly return to the background, a clash of percussion signaling the next part of the music: an improvisation-style with the complexity and depth that differs immensely from the previous simple yet catchy melody. After a long, impressive show of the ukulele's capacity, the catchy melody reappears again, and in the end, Shimabukuro plucks a tune that sounds like an East Asian lute.

Because of its title, "Dragon" may be interpreted as work having some Asian or Asian American meaning. In fact, in a live performance of this piece on Youtube, Shimabukuro spends nearly a minute setting the mood by playing lute tunes that sound like traditional Asian music. Although the performance has been rearranged, without drums or strings, from the album version, the shifts from soft and passive to swift and dominant remain in the music. I first interpreted the music as a conversation between a male and female, particularly the ukulele and the violin. But then, as I listened more closely, I realized that during the first half of the music, creative sounds were dominated by the accompanying instruments: violin, cello and drums whereas the ukulele played the repetitive melody, which tended to be soft, passive and uncreative. Given another level of interpretation, the drums and strings could be intrusions to the supposedly solo piece, forcing the ukulele to be as creative or loud as them. The violins challenge the ukulele to sing as beautifully as them, and finally, the ukulele releases its creativity through an impressive solo melody, the percussion and strings pushed back as accompaniments to the lovely release of ukulele rock music. Compared to the traditional ukulele, violins and cellos are western instruments. Could the dragon in this piece be the ukulele and the Asian Pacific American artist, whereas the other instruments western genres of classical and rock? In the end, the accompaniment leaves, and the ukulele is left to play a traditional Asian tune.

"While my Guitar Weeps," from Gently Weeps (2006), a piece written by George Harrison.

At first, Shimabukuro strums his ukulele softly, and it sounds very Hawaiian, reminiscent of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's serene songs. However, when Shimabukuro gets to the chorus, he strums stronger, but him stylistic editing of the original piece still sounds Hawaiian. The second "A" part plays, and Shimabukuro strums with more energy, this time without the Hawaiian-sounding tune. He taps to signal a new chorus, more passionate but having a Hawaiian tune again, the chorus an energetic crescendo moving to a serene decrescendo. By 2:08, the music transforms with electronic effects, drums, rocklike sounds and improvisation as one would do to an electronic guitar. The Hawaiian sounds are lost in that power-sound show, and a silence lingers from 3:47 to 3:52, and the final part of the piece features a slow version of the "A" part, two bits of ukulele music separated by a pause. A melancholic effect is produced in the end.

This rearrangement of Harrison's work is heavily distinct because of the serene effect of a single ukulele, compared to the original arrangement's use of an entire band. Shimabukuro captures the melody of the song and intelligently applies it to an arrangement that suits his instrument. But just as Harrison and his band seem to improvise after several choruses, Shimabukuro does his own awesome display of sounds, more creative and less similar to the original. Indeed, his art is not mere mimicry. Shimabukuro's work amplifies Harrison's melody that has been buried by various accompaniments. By converting vocals into strings and focusing on that solo instrument, Shimabukuro highlights something beautiful, just like Nigel Kennedy applies this technique to his violin in another rearrangement of the same original. Both Shimabukuro and Kennedy show that rock is not limited to electric and bass guitars and drums. Folk and classical musicians may also play the genre through their instruments. Given another level of interpretation, one might say that rock is not limited to white America in the mainland, but also liked, influenced and played by Hawaiians and Asian Pacific Americans. This piece is also known as "While my Ukulele Weeps," possibly implying that the music is no longer Harrison's but Shimabukuro's.