I'm not a expert or a musician, but come and experience hula music my way...

It was in the late 1980’s when I experienced hula music, and that was the first time I was introduced to an instrument that was made out of half a coconut shell with a piece of plywood with a small hole in the centre glued together, with a wooden neck attached very similar to a guitar neck but, with only 4-strings, it was the Cook Island version of a ukulele

The high-pitched sound of that ukulele pierced the air when played - complementing the guitar - it was truly music to my ears and to nearby people listening to the ukulele music.

At that time I was one of a couple of cousins. Just playing guitars! Mucking around. Then another cousin stated playing this little coconut, ukulele, instrument with only 4 strings. The way he strummed and manipulated the 4 strings with the basic chords brought forth an unrivalled harmony. You wanted to be part of it. Like typical cousins we thought, “here he goes again wanting the lime light (jokes)."

"Hula Music"

Well I got my chance to experience hula music by purchasing a coconut shell ukulele and never looked back, as the years went by I never gave up my quest of this little shelled musical tool, which always brought smiles to myself and others. I was no expert or a real musician with a diploma or degree in music, I was just and average guy who fell in love with a coconut shell ukulele. As time continue for my passion of the ukulele, my little coconut ukulele progressed into the Tahitian 8 string carved ukulele and what I thought was unreal with a 4 string coconut shelled ukulele, rocketed to even a higher level with the introduction of the 8 string to me…. WOW…I never new this could get any better…”but” it did.

When you experience hula music the 8 string tahitian ukulele then and now has no equal in the way it is played and the sound that it generates. When you watch and hear a ukulele expert play, the strumming can be so fast the all you see is a blur but, the sound could only be compared to a expert violin playing sound, I mean the strings on a ukulele are nylon, nylon as in fishing nylon sometimes that a loan tells you the uniqueness of this instrument. You can put pretty much any type of stringed instrument strings on a ukulele, the pitch may change but not the WOW factor.

It has been a lot of years now with my passion of this instrument and there will be many more to come, yes it is an obsession and the sound can make you dizzy, but you feet will always be firmly grounded. Come join the experience and journey with me.

*By Lennie*

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