Early bird tickets are on sale NOW for an all-star concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai. Featured artists are: multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winners Ledward Kaapana, Dennis Kamakahi, and Mike Kaawa; AND 13-time Grammy® Award winner Jerry Douglas; AND multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winners Nathan Aweau, Jeff Peterson, and Benny Chong (as a trio!), and more!!!!!

The concert will be held Saturday April 5 at the National Tropical Botanical Garden's Southshore Visitor’s Center in Poipu. Gates open at 11:30am, concert begins at 1pm. Early bird tickets are available through February 14 only. General admission tickets go on sale beginning February 15. Get your tickets here. 

ʻUkulele master Herb Ohta, Jr. will be in San Jose, CA January 18 to teach several ʻukulele workshops, followed by a concert. Both the workshops and the concert will be held at the Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center (588 N. 4th Street San Jose).

WORKSHOPS

A popular teacher with many repeat students worldwide, Herb’s workshops this time will be geared toward intermediate and advanced students. Knowledge of standard GCEA tuning and the ability to read tablature are requirements for both classes.

For the intermediate workshop (10am to 11:30am), you will learn how to play “Kuahiwi Kau I Ka Noa,” a song from Herb’s new CD, Pure ‘Ukulele. Herb wrote this song while in Yokohama, Japan, thinking about all the places he has traveled and people he meets. He realized that each time he returns to a city he meets new friends, so with every return trip it feels more like home. Once he leaves, he misses both the place and the people. The title of the song translates to “Misty Mountain,” with the mountain symbolizing the place and the mist symbolizing Herb’s longing to visit again.

For the advanced workshop (1:30pm to 3pm), Herb will introduce you to improvising using Kui Lee's song, "I'll Remember You." Using what you learn about improvising, Herb will then take you step-by-step into creating an introduction using the chords of the song, and he will also teach you alternate endings so you can choose the one you prefer. 

For more information or to register for the workshops, please stop by or call Ukulele Source at 599 North 5th Street, San Jose (408-998-2640). Each workshop is $40 - or take both for $60.

CONCERT

At long last and after countless requests by his fans, Herb has released an album with no guest artists and no other instrumentation, save for his ʻukulele. Pure Herb. Pure ʻUkulele. His concert will feature songs from the new CD, as well as fan favorites from past albums. Rodney Takahashi from Ukulele Jams will also perform. Sponsored by Smiley and Janet Kai of Ukulele Source, concert goers are invited to join them for refreshments beginning at 6pm, followed by the concert at 7pm. Tickets are $25 – or for $30, get admission to the concert and a copy of Herb’s new CD! They will also be giving away some great door prizes, and raffling off an ʻukulele. 100% of the proceeds from the raffle (as well as a percentage of the proceeds from concert ticket sales) will be donated to the Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center. Seats are limited, so get your tickets SOON! Tickets are available at Ukulele Source and Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center.

Note: payment by credit card for the workshops or concert must be made in advance at Ukulele Source. Credit cards will not be accepted at the workshops or concert.

In something of a departure from her usual fare, singer-songwriter Sunway has released a poignant, Hawaiian-themed ballad. She penned the heart-felt lyrics to Honoliʻi to honor and commemorate the father of a friend who came from the song’s namesake town – a place on Hawaiʻi Island that both love. The song is both a testament to the area and to the cherished life of the family who lived there.

Originally intended for use only at the memorial service, Sunway decided to release the song at the request of a number of people who were deeply affected by it. The release remains in its original form - listeners hear only Sunway’s strong yet sweetly vulnerable voice, backed by a simple piano arrangement that quietly enhances the emotions being expressed. The simplicity of the arrangement, by multi-platinum award-winning composer Joerg Alfter, results in a far more powerful statement than would otherwise be the case had the song been subjected to over-production.

Honoliʻi was written by Sunway (lyrics) and Joerg Alfter (music, and engineering), and is now available as a digital download only on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and other outlets. (There are no plans to release it on CD.)