‘Ukulele are popular instruments for young and old. People strum them everywhere. But how hard would it be to play, if you didn’t have a right arm? Nick Acosta knows. Roy Sakuma, host for the Starbucks 5th Annual Kauai Ukulele
‘Ukulele are popular instruments for young and old.
People strum them everywhere.
But how hard would it be to play, if you didn’t have a right arm?
Nick Acosta knows.
Roy Sakuma, host for the Starbucks 5th Annual Kauai Ukulele Festival, said Acosta was born without a right arm, but through his personal determination and perserverance, learned to play the four-stringed instrument.
That led to his winning a talent contest and a $10,000 grant to a charity of his choice.
“I got a phone call one day asking if the Roy Sakuma ‘ukulele classes were a charity,” Sakuma said. The classes are not, but the Ukulele Festival is a non-profit, Sakuma said.
Through that venue, Sakuma, who admits loving to teach ‘ukulele, the virtues and tradition of the ‘ukulele travels throughout the state, Acosta now being a part of the entertainment.
“It’s about keeping the tradition and the beauty of ‘ukulele music alive,” said Jonell Kaohelaulii, the marketing director for Kukui Grove who was smiling at the large turnout that filled most of the mall’s food court area, Saturday.
Kaohelaulii said the entertainment line-up, including Jake Shimabukuro, Herb Ohta (also known as Ohta-san), Holunape and Manoa DNA, all utilize ‘ukulele in their music.
“This is a big crowd,” Glen Taba, who was in the audience said. “I took off half-a-day from work so I could come hear Ohta-san.”
Others were captured by the tunes performed by groups like Holunape and Manoa DNA.
“I used to watch him when he was seven years old,” Carol Yotsuda said of the leader of Manoa DNA, the unique family-based group that features a father and his two sons playing a variety of music utilizing guitar and ‘ukulele.
Sakuma said the Ukulele Festival grew out of interest expressed by Outer Island residents who told him they wanted to take his classes, but had no way to do that short of hopping a plane to O‘ahu.
His early Ukulele Festivals consisted of two workshops where patrons could get instruction from Sakuma. Last week, Sakuma brought over Ohta-san and Nando Suan to entertain travel writers who were hosted to a private reception at the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club.
“If I could get a little space, I would love to have a class on the Neighbor Islands,” Sakuma said. “I love teaching. That’s all there is to it.”
Although there are several variations on how the ‘ukulele has become synonymous with Hawaiian music, the common bond is that the little instrument always has the words “dancing fleas” associated with it.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
