More Info on Jake ShimabukuroSimilar Pop & Rock MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Jake Shimabukuro| image = Jake Shimabukuro.jpg| caption = Jake Shimabukuro performing in Joshua Tree, California|Joshua Tree , California in 2007.| image_size =| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1976|11|3|mf=y| birth_place = Honolulu , Hawaii , United States | death_date =| origin =| instrument = Ukulele | genre = Jazz , blues , funk , rock music|rock , classical music|classical , bluegrass music|bluegrass , folk music|folk , flamenco | occupation =| years_active = 1998–present| label =| associated_acts = Pure Heart| website = http://www.jakeshimabukuro.com/ www.jakeshimabukuro.com| notable_instruments = Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976 in Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu, Hawaiokinai ) is a ukulele virtuoso known for his complex finger work. http://www.musicplayer.com/article/jake-shimabukuro/Sep-05/13510 His music combines elements of jazz and rock music|rock . http://www.jakeshimabukuro.com/? t=bio Official biography
History
Shimabukuro's mother gave him an ukulele at age four and he quickly took an interest in the instrument. A fifth generation Japanese-American , http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/virtuoso-more-than-a-novelty-act/2006/10/15/1160850808949.html Virtuoso more than a novelty act Shimabukuro initially gained attention in Hawaii in 1998 as a member of Pure Heart, a trio with Lopaka Colon (percussion), and Jon Yamasato (guitar). Shimabukuro was working at a music store in Honolulu when the group released its Eponym|eponymous first album, featuring a sound and style somewhat similar to the Ka`au Crater Boys|Kaokinaau Crater Boys . Their first album won them four Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Hawaiian counterpart of the Grammy Awards): Island Contemporary Album of the Year, Most Promising Artist(s), Album of the Year and Favorite Entertainment of the Year, the latter determined by unrestricted public vote. Jake also gained attention on his YouTube page, gaining several subscribers with videos of him playing popular songs on his ukelele.
The following year, they released Pure Heart 2 , which earned them another Hoku award for Island Contemporary Album of the year. Yamasato informed the others that he was quitting the group via a newspaper story that ran in the Honolulu Advertiser on Thanksgiving Day, and Shimabukuro and Colon formed another group, Colon, which they named in honor of Colon's father, famed percussionist Augie Colon. The new guitarist was Guy Cruz, younger brother of the Kaokinaau Crater Boys' Ernie Cruz, Jr., and John Cruz. Colon won the Hoku Award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2001, after which Shimabukuro decided to pursue a solo career.
As a solo artist after the break-up of Colon he experimented with using effect pedals to make new sounds that few would associate with an ukulele. He has released an instructional DVD called Play Loud Ukulele , and in 2006 in film|2006 , composed the music to the Cinema of Japan|Japanese film Hula Girls , which featured hula dancing and a Hawaiian spa resort as its primary theme and setting respectively.
Shimabukuro also performed on stage with Jimmy Buffett and his group, The Coral Reefer Band and is featured on Buffett's CD/DVD release, Live in Anguilla.
In November 2009, Shimabukuro accompanied fellow Hawaiian-born Bette Midler at the Royal Variety Show . They performed a rendition of the Beatles song " In My Life " as the first of Midler's three-song set.
Jake is the key spokesman for the "Music is Good Medicine" organization, which uses community outreach programs - and visits to schools, senior centers, and hospitals - to emphasize the importance of a healthy life and mind as well as promoting music and the arts.cite web|url= http://www.phpm.ru/u/166b|title=Interview with Jake Shimabukuro by human2stay.com
Jake was featured on a January 15, 2012 episode of CNN 's The Next List . cite web|last=Belsky|first=Joshua|title=Sneak Peek: Peace, love and ukulele with Jake Shimabukuro Sneak Peek: Peace, love and ukulele with Jake Shimabukuro|url= http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/10/sneak-peek-peace-love-and-ukulele-with-jake-shimabukruo/|publisher=CNN|accessdate=22 February 2012
Instruments
Shimabukuro plays a custom-made 4 string tenor ukulele from Kamaka Ukulele . He uses a Line 6 Pod XT Live. http://www.musicplayer.com/article/jake-shimabukuro/Sep-05/13510 Interview with Shimabukuro
References
http://starbulletin.com/1999/05/25/features/story1.html The 1999 Hoku Award
http://www.nahenahe.net/susanmusic/archive/010100.html Pure Heart member changes
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=cSUMtxXiCWA YouTube clip of live collaboration with beatboxer http://www.jasontom.com Jason Tom
http://www.ukuleledisco.com/jakeconcert Jake in Concert on midnight ukulele disco
http://www.archive.org/details/JakeShimabukuro Jake Shimabukuro collection at the Internet Archive 's live music archive
http://liveukulele.com/interviews/interview-with-jake-shimabukuro/ Interview with Jake Shimabukuro 2009
http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/002191.html 2006 Shimabukuro Interview from Modern Guitars Magazine
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=6155338 2006 Shimabukuro Interview on NPR
http://www.asiaxpress.com/Articles/2006/aug/shimabukuro/1.htm 2006 Shimabukuro Interview from AsiaXpress.com
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/International/Special/JakeShimabukuro/Englsh/cd/main.html A biography and listing of Shimabukuro's albums from Sony Music Entertainment Japan
http://tourbuslive.com/albums/Jake%20Shimabukuro/index.html - Photos from live show
http://www.hawaiiromancefestival.com/ Jake Shimabukuro featured at the Waikiki Shell, Hawaii Romance Festival, May 2008
http://pacificcitizen.org/site/details/tabid/55/selectmoduleid/373/ArticleID/458/reftab/36/title/Japanese_American_Ukulele_Player_Strikes_a_Chord_/Default.aspx Jake Shimabukuro feature by the Pacific Citizen newspaper, Oct. 2009
Persondata | NAME = Shimabukuro, Jake | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = November 3, 1976 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Shimabukuro, Jake Category:Musicians from Hawaii Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Japanese descent Category:American people of Okinawan descent Category:American musicians of Japanese descent Category:Ukulele players Category:People from Honolulu, Hawaii
