ukulele

Main Entry: uku·le·le

Variant(s): also uke·le·le  \ˌyü-kə-ˈlā-lē, ˌü-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Hawaiian ʽukulele, from ʽuku flea + lele jumping

Date: 1896

: a small guitar of Portuguese origin popularized in Hawaii in the 1880s and strung typically with four strings

I like ukulele's.

They are tiny, seemingly insignificant and terribly underestimated.

Last Thursday, I went to the Second Annual Ukulele Festival!

And let me tell you; it's getting better every year!

The festival is incredible, and raises money for a charity called Ukuleles for Peace.

I wrote a news story about the festival last year, and was able to learn about this incredible cause.

Paul Moore created Ukuleles for Peace as a way for Jewish and Arab children to meet each other and become involved in their daily lives.

Last fall, with the hard work Mathias Kom (who plays in Toronto's The Burning Hell) and Doug Hoyer, a local musician, Edmontons First Annual Ukulele Festival! It was a success, and I was so excited to hear it was happening again this year!

I got together with a group of roommates and friends and we headed downtown.

And seriously people, if you've never been to a ukulele festival, then you will never know the reason why I believe this tiny, seemingly insignificant is so dang underestimated.

I wish I had videos from the event, but I know even that wouldn't have sufficed. 

As I listened, I was amazed by how differently each of these musicians wielded this little guitar. 

I was impressed by what you can do with just four strings.

French music, gospel music, folk music, hip hop music, old music, new music, simple music, complex music; all played on the ukulele.

Some of my favourite moments of the night came from the local celebrities, The Be Arthurs.

(Go look them up on YouTube!)

Three grown men, two of them on the ukulele, one on the drums.

They played Toxic, they played My Heart Will Go On.

They played Bohemian Rhapsody.

They played Single Ladies.

AND DID THE DANCE.

Hilarious, fabulous and totally entertaining night, and all for a good cause.

So, next fall, come visit me in Edmonton, and we shall go Ukulele Festival'ing together.

P.S. Please, please, please do yourself a favour a click on the Doug Hoyer link, and listen to the song called "Tattoo." Such a quirky, unconventional love song, and I absolutely adore it.