Department of Accounting and General Services

 
The staff at the Hawai‘i State Archives looks forward to Archives Month every October--we really enjoy presenting something special around our chosen themes and reaching out to our stakeholders in new ways. While this year is no different, this year's theme is a bit closer to home for us: For Love of the "Jumping Flea": Celebrating the ‘Ukulele. In keeping with this theme, we have been waiting several months to make a big announcement:

The Hawai‘i State Archives is the new home of the ‘Ukulele Hall of Fame!

I was able to fly out to New Jersey recently to meet with several board members and pack up not only part of the Hall of Fame collection, but also the personal collections of Hall of Fame founders Paul Norman Syphers and Tom and Nuni Walsh. Nuni is a great-granddaughter of Manuel Nunes, one of the original makers of ‘ukulele in Honolulu. All told, we packed up 87 boxes of material, totaling 1,900 lbs. and 350 cu. ft. of materials; including more than 600 ‘ukulele, some of which are extremely rare and/or used by famous musicians of the early to mid-20th century.

With the addition of these premier collections to our existing holdings of early Hawaiian music (including more than 28,000 phonographic records, thousands of sheet music arrangements, hundreds of music methods and songbooks, and scores of instrument patterns and jigs, as well as vintage tuners and strings), the Hawai‘i State Archives now has one of the world’s most comprehensive research collections on Hawaiian music.

David Kalākaua (1836 - 1891)

Inaugural Hall of Fame Inductee, 1997

Filled with visionary plans for the protection and development of Hawaiian culture, King David Kalākaua actively pursued the revival and perpetuation of chant and hula in the face of fervent opposition by missionary groups. He also encouraged new art forms, the best example of which is his promotion of the instrument introduced by the Portuguese in 1879, now known as the ʻukulele. King Kalākaua's love of the ʻukulele was perhaps the most important factor in establishing the instrument in Hawaiian music and culture, and its subsequent popularization around the world.

Ernest Kaleihoku Kaʻai (1881 - 1962)

1998 Hall of Fame Inductee

The first Hawaiian ʻukulele virtuoso, Ernest Kaʻai, made appearances all over the world. Not only a gifted performer, "Hawaiʻi's Greatest ʻUkulele Player" organized ensembles, composed and published music, and ran the Kaʻai Ukulele Manufacturing Company. He was undoubtedly the foremost ʻukulele authority of his time and had a profound understanding of the mechanics of playing, for which he published the first ʻukulele instruction book in 1906. Although known for promoting the ʻukulele as a featured instrument in the Hawaiian orchestra, his sophisticated fingering, picking, and stroke styles also inspired the modern establishment of the ʻukulele as a solo instrument.

Manuel Nunes (1843 - 1922)

1998 Hall of Fame Inductee

Manuel Nunes emigrated to Hawaiʻi from Madeira in 1879 and quickly became a major force in the transformation of the Madeiran machete to the Hawaiian ʻukulele. He established himself as one of the earliest ʻukulele makers and operated his manufacturing company for over 40 years, much longer than any of the early makers. Many of his handcrafted instruments bore the label "M. Nunes, Inventor of the Ukulele and Taro Patch Fiddles in Honolulu in 1879." His skills were inherited by apprentices such as Samuel Kamaka and his son Leonardo Nunes, who carried on the tradition of fine quality ukulele construction.

Roy Smeck (1900 - 1994)

1998 Hall of Fame Inductee

Artistry and perfection characterize the ʻukulele mastery of Roy Smeck. From headlining in vaudeville, to starring in musical screen shorts and recording a lifetime of songs and original compositions, the "Wizard of the Strings" captured the hearts and minds of audiences for more than six decades. He was also a devoted mentor who, through his instruction books, radio broadcast lessons, and private tutoring, fathered a new generation of ʻukulele players.

May Singhi Breen (1895 - 1970)

2000 Hall of Fame Inductee

May Singhi Breen, affectionately known as "The Ukulele Lady", has long been recognized as one of the outstanding exponents of the ʻukulele. She convinced music publishers of the commercial value of ʻukulele arrangements and pioneered the inclusion of arrangements on almost all printed copies of popular music. Her own arrangements appear on more pieces of sheet music than those of any other single person in history. She was also a teacher. She recorded the first ʻukulele instructional record and she is considered the first to teach the instrument in schools. Her instructional books emphasized the solo capabilities of the ʻukulele with her slogan "Uke can play the melody".

Cliff Edwards (1895 - 1971)

2000 Hall of Fame Inductee

The image of a 1920s ʻukulele-playing crooner stems from the popularity of Cliff Edwards, best known as "Ukulele Ike". Although he is now remembered worldwide as the voice of Jiminy Cricket and singer of the Oscar-winning "When You Wish Upon A Star" in the 1940 Disney movie Pinocchio, he established himself long before this as an amazing ʻukulele strummer with a unique three-octave voice and a scat-singing style he called eefin'. From the 1920s to the 1960s, he appeared in over 100 movies, recorded hundreds of songs, and compiled collections of standard tunes arranged for the ukulele. His immense popularity during the Vaudeville era made "Ukulele Ike" a household name.

Samuel K. Kamaka (1890 - 1953)

2000 Hall of Fame Inductee

Samuel Kamaka is the founder of what is now Kamaka Hawaiʻi, Inc., the leading manufacturer of quality ʻukulele in the world. Kamaka began making ʻukulele in his basement workshop in 1916. During the ʻukulele craze of the 1920s, a large number of manufacturers in Hawaiʻi and on the mainland were making ʻukulele. Kamaka's quality hand-crafted instruments and the introduction of his patented pineapple-shaped ʻukulele design gave him a solid piece of the competitive market, and by the late 1930s he was the only Hawaiian ʻukulele maker remaining in business. Kamaka Hawaiʻi, Inc., continues to flourish under the direction of his sons and grandsons.

Arthur Godfrey (1903 - 1983)

2001 Hall of Fame Inductee

It is likely that no other single person has been directly responsible for the sale of as many ʻukulele as Arthur Godfrey. As an enormously popular television star at the beginning of the 1950s, Godfrey single-handedly initiated the second great wave of ʻukulele popularity in the United States. He played his ʻukulele regularly on his radio and television shows, and even had a show where he gave ʻukulele lessons to his television audience. Sales of all types of ʻukulele soared, and Godfrey's endorsement helped sell millions of the newly introduced plastic ʻukulele models.

Eddie Kamae (1927 - 2017)

2001 Hall of Fame Inductee

There is perhaps no person who deserves more credit for the popularity of the ʻukulele in modern Hawaiian music than Eddie Kamae. A premiere ʻukulele virtuoso since the early 1940s, Kamae played classical, jazz, and other popular music early in his career. He later devoted himself to Hawaiian music, and has led the revolutionary band Sons of Hawaii since 1960. Many of the great Hawaiian ʻukulele players of the last forty years credit the Sons of Hawaii, and particularly Eddie Kamae, with igniting their love for the ʻukulele. Kamae has also been the mentor of many great players, most notably ʻukulele virtuoso Herb Ohta.

Jesse Kalima (1920 - 1980)

2002 Hall of Fame Inductee

Jesse Kalima was born in Honolulu in 1920, at a time when the ʻukulele was just becoming recognized for its capability to be played as a solo instrument. At age 15, Kalima burst into the public music scene, and established himself as the man credited with accelerating the development of the solo ʻukulele, when he won the Hawaii amateur ʻukulele championship by playing the march "Stars and Stripes Forever". Hawaiʻi's ʻukulele virtuoso, Jesse Kalima, left the gift of a lifetime devoted to the uke when he died in 1980. The Hawaii House of Representatives passed a House Resolution in 1981 honoring his memory and artistic achievements.

Jonah Kumalae (1875 - 1940)

2002 Hall of Fame Inductee

In the early part of the 20th century, the ʻukulele had already found popularity with the people of the Hawaiian Islands. On the mainland, however, the ʻukulele was only just starting to catch the interest of people, as the popularity of Hawaiian music on the mainland started to grow. By presenting his ʻukulele at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco, Jonah Kumalae helped to usher in the first and greatest wave of ʻukulele popularity. Although few reliable records are known today, many people consider Kumalae to be the most prolific maker of ʻukulele in Hawaiʻi in the time period from 1915 to 1940, when he died.

Augusto Dias (1842 - 1915)

2003 Hall of Fame Inductee

Along with Manuel Nunes, Jose do Espirito Santo and Augusto Dias were the very first ʻukulele luthiers. Dias is the first luthier in Hawaiʻi for whom there is any documentation: the 1884 Honolulu directory lists Augusto Dias, guitar and furniture maker, as living and working in Chinatown at 11 King Street. In addition to his skills in building beautiful instruments, Dias was a talented ʻukulele player. He was among those who entertained King David Kalākaua in the royal bungalow on the grounds of ʻIolani Palace. Nobody knows definitively who made the first "ʻukulele" but nearly everybody agrees that Nunes, Santo, and Dias all played a role in the transformation of the Madeiran machete to the Hawaiian ʻukulele. Dias, Santo, and Nunes were all responsible for providing the instruments that allowed early musicians to initially establish the popularity of the ʻukulele.

Johnny Marvin (1897 - 1945)

2003 Hall of Fame Inductee

Johnny Marvin was one of the great crooners of the 1920s, and his ʻukulele accompaniment was unsurpassed. In the decade when the ʻukulele was enjoying its greatest popularity, Marvin was one of the premiere ʻukulele performers. Although his name is not as recognized today as a few other 1920s ʻukulele artists, in his day he was a well-known radio personality and recording artist. Marvin made dozens of records both under his own name and as "Honey Duke and his Uke" and "The ʻUkulele Ace". Many of these records document his talented strumming patterns, vocal jazz effects that imitate other instruments, and his smooth crooning.

Jose do Espirito Santo (1850 - 1905)

2003 Hall of Fame Inductee

Along with Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias and Jose do Espirito Santo were the very first ʻukulele luthiers. Santo was making instruments in Honolulu by the mid-1880s. He operated out of a variety of downtown locations, and was the first of the three original makers to specifically advertise the sale of "ukuleles" in 1898. Nobody knows definitively who made the first "ukulele" but nearly everybody agrees that Nunes, Santo, and Dias all played a role in the transformation of the Madeiran machete to the Hawaiian ʻukulele. Although Dias and Santo did not stay in the business as long as Nunes, all three were responsible for providing the instruments that allowed early musicians to establish the popularity of the ʻukulele in Hawaiʻi in the late 1800s.

Bill Tapia (1908 - 2011)

2004 Hall of Fame Inductee

With a performing career spanning nearly nine decades, Bill Tapia has been involved with the ʻukulele, jazz, and Hawaiian music perhaps for longer than any other living person. He began his career in the teens as a child performing for tourists on the streets of Waikīkī. In the 1920s and 30s he performed with many of the biggest names in Hawaiian music and pioneered an incredible style of jazz ʻukulele playing. In his later years, he had again been performing and recording on the ʻukulele, assuring that music fans now and in the future will be able to appreciate the incredible skills of this legendary performer.

George Formby (1904 - 1961)

2004 Hall of Fame Inductee

Known as "Ukelele George," George Formby's career spanned four decades during which he entertained countless people. Formby is singularly responsible for the ʻukulele's recognition and popularity within the British Commonwealth during the 1930s and 1940s, appearing with his signature "banjulele" in 21 movies, hundreds of original songs and thousands of performances. During WWII, Formby entertained several million allied servicemen in Europe and the Middle East, for which he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) in 1946. He won such love and respect for his charismatic stage presence, technical skill and playful lyrics that he remains popular forty years after his death.

Frank Henry Martin (1866 - 1948)

2006 Hall of Fame Inductee

The grandson of C. F. Martin, Sr., Frank Henry Martin oversaw the expansion of the family business from a relatively small but highly-regarded guitar maker's shop to a large production factory crafting guitars, mandolins and ʻukulele. Under Frank Henry's leadership, C. F. Martin & Co. began full-scale ʻukulele production in late 1915 and eventually made over 110,000 of the instruments in his lifetime. In addition to pioneering the development of the concert and tenor ʻukulele, Frank Henry was responsible for the creation of instruments like the venerable Style 0, the Style 3, the 1-T and the legendary 5K. Today, Martin ʻukulele made during Frank Henry Martin's tenure are highly prized and remain the standard by which twenty-first century instruments are judged.

Herb Ohta (1934 - )

2006 Hall of Fame Inductee

A brief retrospective of the accomplishments of Herb Ohta reads like a thesaurus entry for superlatives: the first, the most, the best. No one in the last half of the 20th century has done more to explore the musical possibilities of the ʻukulele - or expanded our vision of what those possibilities are - than Ohta-san. In a performing, recording and teaching career spanning five decades he has created an unprecedented body of work and has arguably inspired and influenced more players than any other living ʻukulele virtuoso. His devotion as a kumu ʻukulele has had - and continues to have - an incalculable impact on the stature of the instrument worldwide and ultimately, as his students introduce new generations of players to the ʻukulele and its music, this may be Herb Ohta's greatest legacy.

Lyle Ritz (1930 - 2017)

2007 Hall of Fame Inductee

As a highly regarded studio bassist in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s, Lyle Ritz could hardly have imagined the impact of a few earlier recordings he had done using a considerably smaller four-string instrument. His two ʻukulele jazz recordings on the Verve label in the late 1950s, "How About Uke?" and "50th State Jazz", were unlike anything previously recorded. Ritz will always be known as the brilliant pioneer in the area of ʻukulele jazz. His recordings are legendary and have inspired countless players both in Hawaiʻi and on the mainland. Ritz returned to his ʻukulele roots in the mid 1980s, releasing a number of more recent recordings as well as an instructional book of his arrangements.

Sam Kamaka Jr. (1921 - 2022)

2012 Hall of Fame Inductee

Sons of ʻukulele maker Samuel Kamaka Sr., Sam Kamaka Jr. and Fred Kamaka Sr. grew up in the ʻukulele business. From helping their father as children in the 1920s to watching over a company now run by their children, the Kamaka brothers have been involved in the manufacture of fine ʻukulele for a remarkable ten decades. After his father's death in 1953, Sam Jr. revitalized the family business and over the next few decades built Kamaka Hawaiʻi Inc. into the premier ʻukulele manufacturer in the world. As the master luthier at Kamaka, Sam invented new ʻukulele models and construction techniques. Sam and Fred also ensured the company's long-term success by passing their skills and knowledge along to their children, who today run the modernized company.

Fred Kamaka Sr. (1924 - 2023)

2012 Hall of Fame Inductee

Sons of ukulele maker Samuel Kamaka Sr., Sam Kamaka Jr. and Fred Kamaka Sr. grew up in the ʻukulele business. From helping their father as children in the 1920s to watching over a company now run by their children, the Kamaka brothers have been involved in the manufacture of fine ʻukulele for a remarkable ten decades. After his father's death in 1953, Fred became a business partner to his brother, and was the business manager at Kamaka Hawaiʻi, Inc. when Kamaka was the only major manufacturer of quality ʻukulele in the world. Sam and Fred also ensured the company's long-term success by passing their skills and knowledge along to their children, who today run the modernized company.

Roy Sakuma (1947 - )

2024 Hall of Fame Inductee

An ʻukulele player, promoter, and producer, Roy Sakuma is first and foremost a teacher. He is unquestionably the most prolific and successful ʻukulele teacher of all time. Roy and his staff have inspired many thousands of students at the Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios. In 1971, he organized the first ʻukulele festival in Honolulu and staged the festival annually for 50 years, always showcasing his talented students. In addition, the Roy Sakuma Productions record label has produced numerous award-winning ʻukulele-related recordings. Along with his beloved wife Kathy, Roy has devoted his life to the Hawaiian ʻukulele world for over half a century.