Christmas in Hawaii via Santa Barbara

Melinda Palacio

At La Arcada, downtown Santa Barbara

This year, I've added a new Christmas tradition. Covid lockdown and the threat of new viruses and respiratory illnesses still loom, but I've had the chance to enjoy the Christmas in Hawaii show by Jake Shimabukuro. If you've never heard of Jake, you probably don't hang around ukulele players or guitarists. He's considered the Jimi Hendrix of ukulele because of his virtuosity on the ukulele. Over the lockdown years, I've had a chance to pick up the little instrument that means jumping flea in Hawaiian. While I don't play as good as Jake, I understand how his trajectory has led to his worldwide fame. 

He learned his first chords from his mother at age four, with two chords under his belt, he could play "Love Me Do," by the Beatles. He then went on to learn from Hawaiian masters, honing his craft, writing songs, producing albums and touring. He's now 46 and loves performing and connecting with his audience, has dozens of albums under his belt and is a true master of his craft. What's fun about watching Jake is how humble he appears while producing mind blowing sounds out of a little instrument with four strings. His musical set showed how he well versed he is in a variety of genres. He's not playing songs you'd expect to hear such as Tiny Bubbles or Melekamikimaka. He's playing Schubert's "Ave Maria," Queen's "Bohemaian Rhapsody," Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," to name a few. Christmas songs included "What Child Is This" and the more contemporary, "This Christmas." There was the obligatory homage to Iz and the Hawaiian version of "Over the Rainbow." Jake played flamenco songs and rock songs. He said he even found inspiration from Bruce Lee films. His original composition, "Dragon," is a tribute to Bruce Lee. 

His latest album, Jake & Friends, is a collaborative work with his musical heroes including Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, and Sonny Landreth to name a few of the collaborators. While he couldn't bring all of the collaborators on tour with him, he brought three friends from Hawaii to play some of the songs from the new album, Herb Ohta, Jr., longtime touring pal and bass player Jackson Waldhoff, and guitarist Justin Kawika Young, who also shared some of his original songs. The show ended with Jake playing "Get Together" by The Youngbloods, also the last song on his new album feat Jesse Colin Young. Not exactly a Christmas song, but the theme was just right and after the show there was a meet and great, a chance to connect in person with the humble and good-natured virtuoso. 

For anyone feeling depressed or experiencing low energy during the holiday, I can recommend learning how to play the ukulele. In my experience, compared to learning guitar or piano, the ukulele is accessible, especially if you've tried to learn an instrument in the past. Learning music lights up the pleasure zone in your brain and it's almost impossible to be unhappy while playing the ukulele. I can't say enough positive things about my experience learning the instrument. Meeting Jake, a ukulele master, was thrilling to see his infectious joy. If you're looking for a last minute Christmas gift, I would recommend a ukulele. 

with Jake Shimabukuro