Northern California Ukulele Festival 1999
What can I say? The Uke is back!
For the 30 years I've been in the fretted instrument business, uke popularity has been growing slowly and steadily. Now, we're all taking them seriously. Well, sort of.
Here's a little photo album of Northern California's recent ukulele festival, held last Sunday at Sunset School in Hayward. The auditorium has a posted capacity of a little under 800, and I'm glad the fire marshal wasn't around to see the lack of standing room!
First up, it's Janet Klein, backed up on guitar by Tom Marion.
Robert Armstrong put down his National tricone Hawaiian guitar and stole the show for a moment with his solo on musical saw:
Jumpin' Jim Beloff says, "but I'm big in Japan."
This group is 'Eono Kane:
All I can say is you haven't lived until you've heard the Irish Rovers' "Green Alligators" translated into Hawaiian!
Even Keiki (kids) get into the act:
This huge group is Templebar's Royal Hawaiian Ukulele Band:
Hey, and way down on the end is our old pal, Al Dodge of the Cheap Suit Serenaders:
Outside in the courtyard there were lots of vendors and ukulele makers. Here's Jim Beloff again, hawking his little starter instruments:
It's the "Fluke"
With plastic back, and wooden top, these little American made ukes have a fine sound and retail for under $120.00.
Tony Graziano drove up from Santa Cruz with some of his latest creations:
Check this one out:
It's Tony's tribute to the Kamaka "Pineapple" ukes of the 1920s.
Ukulele Dick brought a collection of unusual instruments:
Another vendor's table was just covered with banjo-ukes:
And my wife, Joy, found us some fine Aloha shirts:
Lots of outdoor jamming, of course:
And aunties nodding approval: