When ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro crafted duets with Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley and Bette Midler for his Jake and Friends album, he was in part paying tribute to the people and sounds that forwarded his passion for music.
Okage Sama De translates as: “I am what I am because of you.” It is an old saying from Shimabukuro’s native region of Hawaii. This idea – of character and talent being nourished because a person believed in or inspired another – is exactly what drove Shimabukuro to make “Jake and Friends” with these music legends.
Often considered one of the top ukulele players ever, Shimabukuro recently went back in time and paid tribute to the artists of Hawaii who also had a hand in cultivating his early talent.
His latest album release – aptly titled Grateful – is an act of appreciation for the role of mentors. People such as Jimmy Buffett took Shimabukuro under their wings as he matured into his career. Before that, however, it was local uke legends from Hawaii.
“I thought to myself, I should do an album of duets and collaborations of all the people who influenced me from my CHILDHOOD,” Shimabukuro recalled. “The whole thing of this album is gratitude.”
I am what I am because of you. That’s – yet again – what it’s all about. The “you” referenced here includes island names such as Henry Kapono and Brother Noland. Recorded live in-studio, these collaborations celebrate both the music of Shimabukuro’s home and the musicians who excited him as a kid. While the record did not include a duet with his “biggest inspiration” – the uke legend Ohta-san – it did feature a duet with Ohta-san’s son and one of Shimabukuro’s teachers, Herb Ohta Jr.
“Ohta-san was my biggest inspiration for playing the ukulele,” Shimabukuro reminisced. Many uke players sing along with chords, and Shimabukuro doesn’t consider himself a gifted vocalist. Ohta-san modeled something different for the young musician: A playing style that emphasized using the uke to create melody. There was no need for vocals.
“He didn’t sing,” Shimabukuro said. “He played very melodically and was able to improvise.”
This self-described lack of vocal chops – combined with learning from some of the greats of the diminutive four-string instrument – drove Shimabukuro to become better and better at moving fingers fast.
Shimabukuro’s work hit the world in a storm when he went viral on YouTube over 15 years ago; it was with his complex rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by the Beatles. Few had ever heard the ukulele played that way. Shimabukuro’s rendition of that song – and his versions of other music not commonly associated with either Hawaii or ukuleles, such as Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” – helped many see the instrument's power and versatility. Before Shimabukuro, the uke had often been erroneously relegated in the U.S. popular culture to the status of a humor device (Think: Tiny Tim) or as a source of fun, but usually saccharine ditties by Don Ho or by “Over the Rainbow” Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (known as “IZ”). In the hands of Shimabukuro, however, the ukulele could suddenly be seen as much more. It was suddenly…cool. Well before former Pearl Jam frontman and iconoclast Eddie Vedder evolved into a softer, gentler uke-wielding folk singer with his 2011 Ukulele Songs record, Shimabukuro had already set the tone for a new way of seeing this traditional instrument.
It first grabbed the young Shimabukuro’s heart for the same reasons it appealed to other kids.
“It only has four strings, and the strings are made of nylon.” He said that, in comparison, his tender “beginner” fingers found guitar strings to be rough and hard. “I didn’t like pressing down on those strings because it hurt.” He explained that the instrument is “easily accessible and easy to learn. The ukulele is perfect for people like me who want that immediate gratification. I loved running around with my instrument and playing it as fast as I could…making it more physical.”
It sounds as if this corralling of energy was the perfect channel for the outgoing and extroverted musician.
“My parents would have to take it away so I would do my homework or eat my dinner,” he laughed.
Shimabukuro keeps his career going at a speed that rivals that of his fingers. He’s on the road on his summer tour, “Tradewinds and Rainbows,” performing with fellow Hawaiian artists and duet partners from Grateful, Henry Kapono and Jeff Peterson. He’s also stretching himself into all new territory – the blues – working on a record with the co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood.
“It’s coming out probably early fall,” Shimabukuro said. “It’s actually a blues record. This was a really fun and special project. It was one that challenged and pushed me in various ways.”
He said it features a four-piece band, with Fleetwood, of course, on drums. “To be able to play with Mick Fleetwood,” Shimabukuro said dreamily, “he kind of pioneered that kind of blues drumming.”
One of the coolest things about Shimabukuro is his encouragement of other budding musicians, similar to how his heroes enlivened him. When he speaks to groups of school kids, he stresses the importance of staying drug-free and imparts other feel-good suggestions, such as “be kind and help your community.” One bit of advice hits a bit deeper, though, and reflects how Shimabukuro strives to live his own life.
“I always tell kids to be a good person first and a good musician second.”
When you live by the motto “I am What I am Because of You,” this message about the importance of gratitude and character can only lead to something good.
Photo by by Jan Anderson