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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Yes He Can?
Well, here's something that's pretty surprising. If I asked you if any of the three major Presidential candidates knows how to play the ukulele, I'm guessing that you'd say Barack Obama would. After all, he was born in Hawaii.
That'd be my guess, too, but you'd be wrong.
While Senator Obama was born in Hawaii, he moved to Indonesia with his mother and stepfather when he was six. He later returned to Hawaii and wen' grad at Punahou. But since he attended early elementary school in Indonesia, he missed the obligatory ukulele lessons. The gap in his cultural upbringing was discovered during a 2004 fundraiser for the Hawaiian Democratic Party. Local party Chairman Brickwood Galuteria (see photo) presented Obama with a koa canoe paddle as a souvenir of the event:
"The Senator (Obama) thanked Galuteria for the gift and joked that "this will come in handy when I'm paddling up the Potomac to re-take Washington for the American people. I'm grateful that you saw fit to present me with this rather than an 'ukulele. I have no idea what I'd do with that." Local 'ukulele teacher and impresario Roy Sakuma read the report in the Star-Bulletin and got in touch with Obama's sister, Maya. Roy offered to teach Obama to play, but the idea went nowhere since the Senator spends very little time in the Islands.
Fast forward to 2008. A chance conversation between Roy Sakuma and Abe Lagrimas, Jr. leads to a couple of telephone calls with Maya and guess who's teaching the G7-chord to you-know-who in the Presidential Suite at a swank LA hotel? Yep. Honest Abe.
I guess Obama didn't want George W. Bush to be the last occupant of the Oval Office to play the uke. Could a re-entrant version of "Yes We Can" or other campaign songs be far off? Link
posted by Gary at 12:00 AM permalink
1 comments :: click here to comment!
1 Comments:
Another fast forward to 2008, Brickwood Galuteria is running for Senate District 12, and he can definitely use the ukelele that Obama doesn't know how to play to win the senate seat with the sweet melody playing the tunes of his great ambition for the revival of District 12!
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UKE MUSIC BOOKS
Ian Whitcomb Songbook Arranged for Ukulele and Easy Keyboard
Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hawaiian
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Tips 'n' Tunes
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Favorites
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Gems
Jumpin' Jim's '60s Uke-In
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Spirit
Jumpin' Jim's Camp Ukulele
Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hollywood
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Beach Party
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Masters: Lyle Ritz
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Masters: Lyle Ritz Solos : 15 Chord Solos Arranged by the Ukulele Jazz Master
Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Masters: Herb Ohta
Jiminy Kokopo's Ukulele Sing and Strum Fun Book
Roy Smeck: Ukulele Method
UKE HISTORY BOOKS
The Ukulele: A Visual History, by Jim Beloff
UKE VIDEOS
Bob Brosman's Ukulele Tunes and Techniques: Hawiian and American Styles
Jumpin' Jim's Joy of Uke
Ukulele for Kids: Volume 1
Ukulele for Kids: Volume 2
UKE CDS
Cliff Edwards: Singin' in the Rain
Read Boing Boing
FAVORITE UKE SITES
Flea Market Music
Best source for songbooks and the incredible Fluke ukulele. (Seen below.)
Kamaka
One of the best uke makers around.
King David Ukulele Station. Like Ukulelia, only in French!
Ukulele Hall of Fame Has a large catalog of books, music, videos, ukes and other stuff. All proceeds go to support the mission and activities of the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum.
Ukulele Diner The Happy Fun Ball of ukulele sites!
UKE DISCUSSION BOARDS
alt.music.makers.ukulele
Flea Market Music Bulletin Board
Collectors Uke Yak
Ukulele Madness
UKULELE SOFTWARE
Guitar Learning Uke Software
Ukepix
Fretboard PalmOS App
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Talsma String Instruments
Kawika
Ko`olau
Mele
Marc Silber Music
Maui Music
Young Handcrafted Ukuleles
Pegasus Guitars and Ukuleles
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Shimo Guitars
3rd Wave Ukuleles
Kanile'a Ukulele
Timberline Ukuleles
Beltona Resonator Instruments
Earnest Instruments
National Resophonic Ukuleles
Hana Lima 'Ia Ukulele Making School
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GString Ukulele Co.
Risa Musical Instruments
Tony Graziano Ukuleles
KP Ukuleles
Island Ukuleles
Talsma String Instruments
Glyph Custom Ukes
Moore Bettah Ukes
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Tiki King's Ukulele Stuff
Brudda Bu's Ukulele Heaven
The Ukulele Freedom Front
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Honolulu Star Bulletin
The Banjo Ukulele
Ukulele World
Ukulele Klubben
Bounty Music Ukulele Links
Ukulelink
NALU Music
Ukulele Strummers
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Island Legends
Harp Depot
Ukulele House
Mandolin Brothers
Elderly Instruments
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Vintage Instruments in Philadelphia
Buffalo Brothers
Gruhn Guitars
Roy T. Cone
Stringed Instrument Division
Coconut Grove Music
Island Guitars
Bernunzio Vintage Instruments
Barbara's Guitars
Bounty Music
Freedom Guitar Inc.
Homewood Musical Instrument Company
Lahaina Music
Play It Again Sam
Spruce Tree Music and Repair
Ukulele Made In Hawaii
Ukulele
Guitar Tex
Uke Lady Music
UKULELE INSTRUCTION
ezFolk.com
Jerry Moore's Ukulele Made Easy
Jazz Improvisation Primer
Laiya and Louis Ukulele Chordfinder
Tim's useful Uke chord site
1914 Ukulele Instruction Manual
Chord Generator
HUI Ukulele Instruction
Ukulele Instruction Videos and Songs
Yahoo's Music Theory Section
UKULELE PEOPLE
Howlin' Hobbit
Uke Jackson
Cliff Edwards - Ukulele Ike
Ian Whitcomb.
The George Formby Society
Hal Brolund
Roy Sakuma
Miner Museum
King Ukulele Webworld
Shorty Long - the official website
Ukulele Club of Ventura County
Ralph Shaw - King of the Ukulele!
Brooklyn's Own Ukulele Lady
Robyn's Ukulele page
Ukelin
Hawaiian Storyteller "Uncle Charlie"
Da Barefoot Warrior
Joanna Spinoza
Joe Zsigray's Ukulele Page
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
uke Fink
Jerry Dallal's Uke Page
Wink's Webpage
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Robert Armstrong
Bill Tapia
Janet Klein
James Hill
Trefor Bazett
Paul Moore
Metropolitan Ukulele Association
Lil' Rev
Waste of Aces
Bliss Blood
Tokyo Ukulele Afternoon Club
UKULELE MUSIC AND HAWAIIANA
Flaming ukulele radio hour
Hawaiian Music Island
Aloha Plenty
Hawaiian Slack Key & Ukulele
NahenaheNet, The Sweet Sound of Hawaiian Music.
Hawaiian Music Guide
MGC Records Hawaii
Ukulele Beatles Fun!
Booklines Hawaii
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