Ukulele Festival '99
© Frank Ford, 4/3099; Photos by FF, 4/25/99
What can I say? The Uke is back!
For the 30 years I've been in the fretted instrument business, uke popularity has been growing slowly and steadily. Now, we're all taking them seriously. Well, sort of.
Here's a little photo album of Northern California's recent ukulele festival, held last Sunday at Sunset School in Hayward. The auditorium has a posted capacity of a little under 800, and I'm glad the fire marshal wasn't around to see the lack of standing room!
First up, it's Janet Klein, backed up on guitar by Tom Marion.
Robert Armstrong put down his National tricone Hawaiian guitar and stole the show for a moment with his solo on musical saw:
Jumpin' Jim Beloff says, "but I'm big in Japan."
This group is 'Eono Kane:
All I can say is you haven't lived until you've heard the Irish Rovers' "Green Alligators" translated into Hawaiian!
Even Keiki (kids) get into the act:
This huge group is Templebar's Royal Hawaiian Ukulele Band:
Hey, and way down on the end is our old pal, Al Dodge of the Cheap Suit Serenaders:
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