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Summer Reading Challenge Kick-Off – ‘Ukulele Jam Session with Kumu Kamaile
June 3, 2025 @ 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
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Celebrate Summer Reading! Our summer theme is E Heluhelu Kākou: Mele, and Hawaii’s public libraries will be celebrating the power of storytelling through music, chants, and poetry.
Kamailelauli’i Tai Hook works as the Kumu Papa Māla aʻo for the Ke Kula Kaiapuni ‘O Hau’ula on the North Shore of O’ahu.
Well-versed in ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i and the ukulele, she will share some entry-level chords for beginners to learn and joy.
Dust off your own ukulele or borrow one of ours and jam with us!
Sponsored by the KEY Project and the Friends of the Library Kahuku (FOLK).
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Did you know?
Portuguese Immigration Brought the Ukulele’s Ancestor to Hawaii
In 1879, the ship Ravenscrag arrived in Honolulu Harbor with more than 400 Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and the Azores. Among them were three cabinet makers—Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias, and José do Espírito Santo—who brought with them the machete (also known as the braguinha or cavaquinho), a small four-stringed instrument that would evolve into the ukulele.
Sources: Hawaii State Archives
King Kalākaua Was a Crucial Supporter of the Ukulele
King David Kalākaua, who ruled Hawaii from 1874 to 1891, played a vital role in popularizing the ukulele. Known as the “Merrie Monarch” for his love of arts and culture, Kalākaua featured the ukulele at royal gatherings and encouraged its playing throughout the kingdom. His support helped establish the ukulele as a symbol of Hawaiian culture during a time when many native traditions were being suppressed.
The Ukulele Was Used in Hawaiian Schools as an Educational Tool
In the 1960s, Canadian music educator J. Chalmers Doane developed a ukulele curriculum for schools that was eventually adopted in Hawaii. The instrument’s relatively low cost, portable size, and ease of learning basic chords made it ideal for classroom music education. This educational usage helped preserve ukulele traditions during a period when the instrument’s mainstream popularity had waned.
Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity should contact library staff as soon as possible. Advance requests 48 hours or more before the event are encouraged, but not required. Program schedule is subject to change.
