Evolution of the Ukulele: The History of Hawaii's Jumping Flea August 2, 2007

The Museum of Craft and Folk Art presents: Evolution of the Ukulele: The History of Hawaii’s ‘Jumping Flea’- August 2 – October 21, 2007

Evolution of the Ukulele: The History of Hawaii’s ‘Jumping Flea’ provides an in-depth history of how a small group of Portuguese immigrants brought the little guitar-like Madeiran “machête” to Honolulu in 1879, sparking creation of a new and uniquely Hawaiian instrument and sound. The ukulele’s popularity took turn-of-the-century Hawaii by storm, and then swept across the United States, Canada and Great Britain through the early 1900s. As accompaniment to Hawaiian, Hawaiian-inspired, and Tin Pan Alley music, the ukulele resurfaced in the 1950s to inspire everyone from Elvis to the Beatles. The exhibition is the centerpiece for San Francisco’s first ever Ukulele Festival. Hawaiian Jake Shimabukuro, the “Jimi Hendrix of the Ukulele”, will kick off the festival when he performs at the Herbst Theater on Friday, September 7th followed by the all-day Ukulele Festival on Saturday, September 8th at Yerba Buena Gardens.

Admission: $5/adults, $4/seniors; free for children under 18 and Museum members.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art
51 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA 94103

Official Website: http://www.mocfa.org