Jake Shimabukuro

Over the past decade, Jake Shimabukuro (she-ma-boo-koo-row) has become the world’s most prominent and creative ukulele player. In Jake’s hands, this traditional Hawaiian instrument with only four strings is stretched and molded into a bold new musical force. Jake mixes jazz, rock, classical and traditional Hawaiian music, creating a sound that’s technically masterful, emotionally powerful and utterly unique. As the San Francisco Gate recently wrote: “The sounds [Jake] wrings from his ukulele…are unlike anything else in the history of the instrument.”

In the years since that clip first aired, Jake has performed with the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Bela Fleck, Bette Midler, Yo-Yo Ma, Cyndi Lauper and Ziggy Marley. He’s played on a wide variety of national shows including “The Late Show with Conan O’Brien,” “The Today Show” and “Last Call with Carson Daly,” as well as NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “World Café.” He’s landed slots on the Monterey and Playboy Jazz Festivals, and even played in front of the Queen of England at a benefit show (alongside Bette Midler).

As his career continues to blossom, Jake is also busy giving back to the island community, using the ukulele as his tool. He’s currently the head spokesperson for “Music is Good Medicine,” a living healthy community program that tours schools, hospitals and senior centers around Hawaii.

“The ukulele is the instrument of peace,” Jake says. “And if everyone played one, the world would be a better place.”