Jake Shimabukuro

Profile

 * Name: ジェイク・シマブクロ / Jake Shimabukuro
 * Date of Birth: November 3, 1976
 * Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii USA
 * Nationality: U.S. citizen

About Jake
Jake is one of the most amazing players of the ukulele I've ever seen. In Hawaii, the ukulele is a part of Hawaii's music heritage. Other great ukulele players I've met include Peter Moon, Herb Ohta, and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. However, Jake pushes the ukulele up a level or two, blending the ukulele sound with non-Hawaiian forms of music - including jazz, fusion, and American pop.

Jake started out as a local-based musician for the musical trio Pure Heart, along with Lopaka Colon and Jon Yamasato. While working at House of Music in Ala Moana Center, Jake and his band mates released their first CD in 1998 entitled Pure Heart. Most of the tracks on this CD are covers from previous recordings of the 1950's through the 1970's, and has a sound and style very similar to the Ka'au Crater Boys. Honolulu Magazine chose Pure Heart to be among the top-50 Hawaii albums of all-time. After winning four Na Hoku Hanohano awards with the group, Jake decided to break away and pursue his solo career.

Jake went on to strengthen his ukulele style, using his rock guitar influences as inspiration - including Carlos Santana, Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen. Today, his ukulele star is anything but Hawaiian. In his solo career, he has released three CDs: Sunday Morning, Walking Down Rainhill, and Crosscurrent. Recently, he released an instructional DVD Play Loud Ukulele, and a live concert DVD Million Miles Away. A new CD, Dragon, is slated for release in October 2005.

Jake is also very popular with the Japanese. Being a fourth generation Okinawan, he learned the Nihongo language while being brought up in Hawaii, and speaks it fairly well. He recently completed a tour of Japan and Okinawa. During the tour, he recorded the ending theme song Handsome Woman for the Japanese renzoku drama Rikon Bengoshi 2, and made an apperance on the NHK music show Music Club of Dreams, along with Natsukawa Rimi and sumo Ozeki Konishiki. And, he recently appeared on NHK 57th Kouhaku Uta Gassen, playing ukulele alongside Natsukawa Rimi. --written by groink

Drama Theme Songs

 * Handsome Woman, from Rikon Bengoshi 2

Recognitions

 * AWARD: Four Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's Grammy)
 * AWARD: Four Hawaii Music Awards