UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I LIBRARY VIRTUOSIC 'UKULELE: RE/CREATING ETHNO·MUSICAL IDENTITIES IN HAWAI'I A THESIS SUBMITIED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAW AI'I IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN MUSIC AUGUST 2008 By Chadwick S. Pang Thesis Committee: Jane Moulin, Chairperson Thomas Osborne TyTengan We certify that we have read this thesis and that, in our opinion, it is satisfactory in scope and quality as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in Music. THESIS COMMITIEE Chairperson ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express great thanks and appreciation to Byron Yasui, Benny Chong, and Jake Shimabukuro for sharing their lives, knowledge, and artistry with me. Their openness and willingness to tell their stories made this project both possible and enjoyable. Making time to meet with me at gigs, emailing me while traveling and talking between recording sessions were examples of the graciousness, kindness, and sincerity of these three virtuosos. Mahalo nui loa to U'iJani Bobbitt, Michelle Kanehe, Justin Ka'upu and Shaun Pe'ahu for acting as emotional sound boards and for helping me organize my ideas, process my data, and overcome those unexpected technical challenges. Their friendship and goodwill helped me to get from start to finish. Arigato gozaimasu to my aunt, June Shimana for magically appearing in the 11 th hour. Her unswerving commitment and goodwill helped me to leap over my daunting hurdles, meet my challenges head on, and to persevere in the most difficult of times. Mauru'uru to Jane Freeman Moulin for her guidance, patience, and support as my adviser. Her many comments helped me to articulate my thoughts. Her many advising sessions helped me to understand my next step. Most importantly, her confidence in me and my ability helped me to realize my potential and inspired me to reach higher than I had ever hoped. Lastly, I would like to thank my grandfather, who shared with me his love for playing the 'ukulele. I have fond childhood memories of playing duets with him on songs like "Nola," "Stars and Stripes Forever," and "Kawika." Little did I realize the important role these songs would play in my quest to obtain a Master's degree, talk-story with three great 'ukulele players, and to be in a space where I can understand why ... "cause I'm local, k?" Ii ABSTRACT This case study takes a biographical approach to the life stories and music of three 'ukulele virtuosi through research that examines their artistry and their re/contextualization of ukulele perfonnances while documenting their innovative techniques and eclectic stylings. The research reveals the development of a local 'ukulele repertoire that informs the music of three outstanding musicians-Byron Yasui, Benny Chong, and Jake Shimabukuro. The music expresses their musical values, backgrounds, and artistry; moreover, their music represents cultural products and processes that move through local, local, and glocal spaces in the complex ethnoscape of Hawai'i. III TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .................................................................................................................... vi Preface ............................................................................................................................... vii Chapter I. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 A Brief 'Ukulele Overview ............................................................................................. 2 Local Identity .................................................................................................................. 5 Review of the Literature ................................................................................................ 10 Chapter 2. Byron Yasui .................................................................................................... 23 Musical Development ................................................................................................... 23 Introduction to Hawaiian and Pacific Musics ............................................................ 26 Introduction to Jazz ................................................................................................... 30 Introduction to Classical Music ................................................................................. 32 'Ukulele Influences ....................................................................................................... 34 Instrument and Tuning Preferences ............................................................................... 37 Virtuosity ....................................................................................................................... 38 The •Ukulele as a Solo Instrument.. .............................................................................. 41 Artistry .......................................................................................................................... 43 Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 3. Benny Chong ................................................................................................... 57 Musical Development ................................................................................................... 57 Introduction to Jazz ................................................................................................... 60 Introduction to Show Music ...................................................................................... 61 'Ukulele Influences ...................................................................................................... 64 Instrument and Tuning Preferences ............................................................................... 65 Virtuosity.. .. .. .... ... .................... ............................ ............ .................... .......... ... .. ........... 67 The 'Ukulele as a Solo Instrument ................................................................................ 68 Artistry .......................................................................................................................... 69 Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 72 Chapeter 4. Jake Shimabukuro ......................................................................................... 84 Musical Development ................................................................................................... 84 Tracey Terada ............................................................................................................ 86 Pure Heart and Colon ................................................................................................ 87 Iv Solo Career ................................................................................................................ 88 Collaborative Influences ............................................................................................ 90 'Ukulele Influences ....................................................................................................... 90 Instrument and Tuning Preference ................................................................................ 92 Virtuosity ....................................................................................................................... 94 The 'Ukulele as aSolo Instrument ................................................................................. 95 Artistry .......................................................................................................................... 96 Analysis.. .... ....................... ................... .... ......... .... ........ ... ... ............... .................. ....... 100 Chapter 5. Synthesis and Conclusions ........................................................................... 108 Defining Contemporary Virtuosic 'Ukulele ................................................................ 108 The 'Ukulele as a Solo Instrument ........................ .... ................. .... ... ............... .... ... 109 Legitmizing the 'Ukulele ......................................................................................... 111 Musical Arrangement and Composition .................................................................. 112 Improvisation in Performance ................................................................................. 114 Local Music ................................................................................................................. 116 Local Habitus ........................................................................................................... 117 Localizing and Glocalizing Music ........................................................................... 119 Oral Transmission and Informal Mentorships ......................................................... 122 Local 'Ukulele Repertoire ....................................................................................... 123 Possible Future Studies ............................................................................................... 127 Appendix A. Pictures ..................................................................................................... 131 Appendix B. Songs .......................................................................................................