NZ Music Month - Celebrating the Ukulele!
A DigitalNZ Story by Zokoroa
Bring out your ukulele and strum it all day long in celebration of NZ Music Month in May and "Play Your Ukulele Day" held annually on 2 Feb!
Ukulele, ukelele, musical instruments, stringed instruments, music
Did you know that the word "ukulele" in Hawaiian means jumping flea? One legend tells that the musical instrument was so named because the way the player's fast-moving fingers jumped around the strings looked like fleas jumping over the keyboard! The ukulele is a member of the lute family of instruments and generally has four strings. (See Get-tuned.com)
Teacher and children with ukeleles
NZEI Te Riu Roa (New Zealand Educational Institute)
Natural Magic Ukulele Pirates - NZ Music Month
Christchurch City Libraries
Ukelele orchestra
NZEI Te Riu Roa (New Zealand Educational Institute)
Playing ukeleles, Rural Teaching Principals' Conference 2000
NZEI Te Riu Roa (New Zealand Educational Institute)
Bill Sevesi's Dream
NZ On Screen
South Island Children's and Young Adults' Librarians Conference, "Creating Legendary Experiences" (2011).
Ukuleles
Christchurch City Libraries
Styles of Ukulele:
Pre-1985 ukulele made from composite materials.
Ukurere
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Pre-1987 ukelele made of Koa (Accacia Koa), a native specie to Hawai'i.
Ukulele
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Auckland Keyword: Music Event: World Teachers' Day (2012).
Ukeleles
NZEI Te Riu Roa (New Zealand Educational Institute)
Listen to the sounds of the ukelele:
(And who remembers seeing Tiny Tim singing and playing "Tiptoe through the tulips"!? See Youtube clip.)
Want some tips on how to tune your ukelele, play it and take care of your beloved instrument? Check out Ukuguides.com
Film about the life and music of Bill Sevesi. Includes uke player Sione Aleki, Tonga's answer to Jimi Hendrix (1992).
Song of the South Seas - The Life and Music of Bill Sevesi
NZ On Screen
Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra teach us how to play the ukelele (2009)
Ukelele Orchestra
Radio New Zealand
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - Boogey Man (2012).
In Session: The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - Boogey Man
95bFM
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra's version of Bonnie Tyler's "It's a heartache" (2008).
It's a Heartache
NZ On Screen
Levin Intermediate Ukulele Orchestra perform Rockin' Robin (2011),
Levin Intermediate Ukelele Orchestra perform Rockin' Robin
Kete Horowhenua
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra perform Boogey Man (2012).
In Session: The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - Breathless
95bFM
The joys of learning the ukulele - Lynn with Julian Raphael & Isabelle LeFrancq from Wellington (2012).
Try Something New - The Ukulele
Radio New Zealand
Te Ururoa Flavell plays ukulele, sings in final address to 51st Parliament (2017).
Te Ururoa Flavell plays ukelele, sings in final address to 51st Parliament
Radio New Zealand
Learning te reo with help from ukulele (2018).
Learning Te Reo with help from a Ukelele
Radio New Zealand
Players over the years:
Māori woman in costume playing the ukulele (1938).
Māori woman dressed in piupiu and kakahu playing the ukelele, Ohinemutu, Rotorua
Alexander Turnbull Library
Gisborne's "pop" singer Julie Nelson's latest release is "Ukulele Lady" (1963).
"Ukelele Lady"
Gisborne Photo News
Music video (2004): Age Pryor who played with Fly My Pretties & co-founded Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra.
Age Pryor
NZ On Screen
Thirty artists around New Zealand were briefed by Marg Morrow to turn ukuleles into mini art works (2010).
Thirty Ukeleles
Radio New Zealand
Long John Knickers and his ukulele in a small cafe (2016).
Long John Knickers and his ukelele
Radio New Zealand