100 years of the ukulele in 6 minutes - BBC Arts

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Watch the BBC first on iPlayer 👉 bbc.in/iPlayer... More information: bbc.in/1M3YlRD A ukulele journey from 1915 to 2015, from Ukulele Lady to Goldfrapp's Ooh La La.
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[@thegreyman6548]

This is the reason why everyone in England laughs at me when I tell them that I play ukulele. Thank God for Hawaii, Jake Shimabukuro, Kalei Gamaio, Benny Chong, Herb-Ohta, Taimane etc...

[@jodijansen3569]

|-/

[@verdiernoyama9681]

They revolutionized the ukulele

[@KNic0lson]

Weird cos if you said you played the spoons the would be impressed

[@AnitaLife27]

1915 Aloha Oy 1920-30s Ukulele Lady 1940s We'll Meet Again 1950s How High The Moon Maybelline 1960s Tip Toe Through The Tulips 1980s Sheena Is A Punk Rocker 1990s Smells Like Teen Spirit 2005 Goldfrapp's Ooh La La.

[@notmyname8527]

The Ukelele actually originated in Portugal. The ukulele originated in the 19th century, as an adoption of the Portuguese machete

[@denisesheehan9189]

Yes, I wish the doc included the Portuguese heritage!

[@UkuleleClub]

True, but if you go down that route, then you need to also include Arabia and Africa as origins to Portugal.

[@denisesheehan9189]

Did the uke descend from an Arab or an African string instrument?

[@jorgesaopedrogomes]

@@UkuleleClub the point is that were portuguese people living in Hawaii that build the first Ukuleles, so not same thing. And in all case not so sure if it exists before in Africa, i don't found any references of any type of small guitar with 4 cords before in África or Arabia...

[@lamonticus583]

@@UkuleleClub Why the need to go down that far in history? What instrument before is that similar to the ukulele like the portuguese one?

[@anaritasobral6849]

The origin is it in Portugal and not Hawai... And that it´s well documented!

[@Bourne0814]

The Portuguese introduced the machete, not the ukulele. The Hawaiians improved upon the machete's designed and made an instrument that was easier to play that only involved 4 strings instead of 8 . . . and that is well-documented.

[@nancymaslen5637]

@@Bourne0814! Paniolo cowboys from Portugal brought their instrument to Hawaii while teaching Hawaiians to raise cattle. The locals thought their hands looked like jumping (lele) fleas (uku) when they strummed. Hence the ukulele.

[@goncalodias6402]

@@Bourne0814 no, the portuguese introduced the cavaquinho to the hawaians. the cavaquinho is a ukulele basically

[@rickjitchakumusic]

@@nancymaslen5637 the Paniolo were not from Portugal! The Paniolo was brought to the Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1832 and introduced the guitar that was the birth of Kiho'alu, or Slack Key Guitar and the Machete that was redeveloped into the 'ukulele came to the Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1879.

[@20000dino]

@@goncalodias6402 NO. The cavaquinho is an entirely different instrument. The Portuguese bought the machete to Hawaii in the 1870s, and it was then adapted into the ukulele, becoming a staple of Hawaiian culture.

[@locar12]

No mention of Hawaii? I feel sad for Iz.

[@daeseongkim93]

I'm from Hawaii and I know ukuleles, but what is this and why...

[@thegreyman6548]

+ktango94 I'm from London but I've been visiting Hawaii every year since 1999 and I know what you mean. Unfortunately this video shows the exact reason why so many people in England think that playing an ukulele is a complete joke. They make themselves look ridiculous and as a result they damage the reputation of this amazing instrument.

[@almaximus03]

Thank you for this.

[@jdion79]

oh shit! it is GUGUG! he's in orkestra obsolete too, i believe!!!! good to see he's doing well!

[@erlindaestrada1266]

Yeah, what happened to Hawai'i? Poorly researched, poorly done. I expect more of BBC.

[@U-V.]

Agreee with u on that one

[@jestersarmiento4751]

oh goddd ukuleleeee😍

[@KNic0lson]

❤

[@MrBiswas123]

Deserves to be viral .

[@johnnyfrugal1273]

Visually creepy. Aurally inauthentic. But maybe that's just me. :-/

[@johnnyfrugal1273]

+Buck Stradler When there's something funny to be found, I'll roll in the aisles with the best of men. Sometimes there's humor in absurdity, other times, one looks to discover only utter stupidity.

[@deletedaccount7464]

Ikr

[@pij2561]

Its not just u

[@Aladsww2collection]

You can mention tiny Tim but not George formby

[@danielclifton6140]

BBC Three is going for this?!

[@-Julien-]

Yeah, and now having a ukelele is a trend and if you have one, you're "basic", I got mine because I like the instrument, I don't even like music nowadays

[@thepatterpatrol26]

This bugs me but there would not be a lap steel in 1915 or one you could plug into an amp

[@mekhane.broken9678]

It's the BBC Were you expecting quality?

[@steadmanuhlich6734]

Nicely done lads!

[@stringtutorials3390]

They spelt it wrong it is ukulele not ukelele

[@stringtutorials3390]

Otherwise it is great!😀

[@ropper75]

And if you didn't like the ukulele when you started watching you won't when you've finished. Sorry but this is neither factual or interesting.

[@GrandiaKnight]

No George Formby? And you call this a history of the ukelele? Shame BBC!

[@movieman7000]

Ukele lady

[@senutylloj]

The BBC frequently banned George's records, but HRH Queen Elizabeth II loved him, make of that what you will! He also contributed hugely to people's morale during WWII.

[@pretymuzicgurl]

Nice nice nice

[@tunedtofacgce]

I was honestly waiting for Tyler Joseph of tøp to come up.

[@tsubasayih]

what the name of the song of 1920?

[@geaorgiahelking8850]

TSUBASA YIH ukulele lady

[@silviaguerra9817]

songs name??

[@geaorgiahelking8850]

Silvia Guerra which year?

[@jdion79]

FIN!!!!!!!!!

[@UkuleleClub]

Hawaii - Hawaiians - Hawaiian Music - Hawaiian Instrument. You're welcome.

[@mekhane.broken9678]

Portugal-Portuguese-portugese music-portugese instrument-hawai-hawaiians-Hawaiian music-Hawaiian instrument. You're welcome.

[@GUGUG]

THis video is only a small part of a bigger (fun) article. See here bbc.in/1NMraEI

[@Red_Nekromancer]

its funny

[@kaicolecoleunde4taill326]

Whats that song at1:52

[@geaorgiahelking8850]

Kaicole Coleunde4taill 1:52

[@geaorgiahelking8850]

Kaicole Coleunde4taill we’ll meet again

[@AnitaLife27]

Hawaii IS the USA. That's like saying Pennsylvania introduced scrapple to the USA. Oh well. Not really an objective history of Uke.

[@AnitaLife27]

Very strange look at the history of uke. Through a glass darkly. There's more to it and you've left off giant swaths of uke history. Part of the revival is contemporary pop groups using ukes. But, this was 2005, so I get that Jake, James Hill and Izzy are omitted. Interested attempt though glaring omissions.

[@Z4SEAL]

wassup keds club (the teache is gay)

[@paulyf.107]

Worst Bullsh*t I've Ever Seen Made By The BBC ~ I'm thinking that everyone deserves a reduction on next years license... Awful 360 + seconds!

[@rickjitchakumusic]

Was that supposed to be a rendition of Aloha 'Oe? That's not how we sing it in Hawai'i. Was this a Whitewashed History of the 'Ukulele? Why was there no references to 'ukulele players like Ohta-San from the 60's and 70's? Or even earlier from players like Bill Tapia? All you did was play music from the eras of time, how is that a History of the 'Ukulele? Being a professional 'ukulele player in Hawai'i that has been playing for over 55 years, this seemed very demeaning and a little racist and definitely not a history of any instrument. I am truly disappointed that this video from the BBC came on my timeline. Thank you to the BBC for totally not including the Hawaiian part of what you called a Hawaiian instrument, the 'ukulele! Not to mention that you even mispronounced the word! What kind of research was done in this video and you are actually listing it under arts? And by the looks of it, this video is for Caucasians as there was no one of color in this video! Just remember that the Hawaiians got their Kingdom illegally overthrown in 1893, so please do appropriate a Hawaiian instrument too.

[@AngstRiddenAnnoyance]

It was invented by the Portuguese

[@rickjitchakumusic]

@@AngstRiddenAnnoyance yes that is partially true as the three woodworkers immigrated from Madeira, Portugal to the Kingdom of Hawai'i where the lived the rest of their lives and modified the instrument that they brought, the Machete de Braga and changed it into what is now the 'ukulele. So it was done by Portuguese immigrants in Hawai'i, and there is a lot of documentation on this history. Check out the book by writer Jim Tranquada who co-authored with John King documenting the history of the 'ukulele in Hawai'i and Jim is the great grandson of Augusto Dias who is one of the 3 original 'ukulele builders who came to the Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1879 from Madeira, Portugal.