http://www.nctimes.com/entertainment/music
Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro returns for Surf Museum benefit
By GARY WARTH
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It's been a few years since Jake Shimabukuro first gained fame through a YouTube video of him playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in Central Park, and with 4 million views it still may be his most-recognized work. The song remains the first video that pops up on the site when searching the word "ukulele," and it still is forwarded by people amazed at what they are seeing and eager to introduce their find to friends.
Shimabukuro doesn't look much today like the young Hawaiian with the short spiky hair and nerdy glasses in the video, however. Cool at 33, he now tours the world nine months a year ---- he performs at Anthology in San Diego on Nov. 19 and at Grace Chapel in Oceanside on Nov. 20 ---- and sometimes playing before tens of thousands as Jimmy Buffett's opening act.
"I never thought I'd be doing what I'm doing," Shimabukuro said last week in a telephone interview from Michigan, where he was preparing for a show in Ann Arbor. "I never thought I'd be turning this into something I can make a living at. I was just in Paris last month with Jimmy Buffett."
Just as the ukulele has changed Shimabukuro's life, Shimabukuro has changed the way many people now think of the ukulele. His complex but delicate interpretations of songs include a repertoire that ranges from Cyndi Lauper to Led Zeppelin, and in recent concerts he has surprised audiences with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
"Everybody's like, 'What?'" he said. "It's so funny to watch people's reaction. They'll laugh. They'll cheer."
But Shimabukuro's concerts are no novelty act filled with quirky cover songs. The bulk of his work, both live and on recordings, have been original songs. While all instrumentals, his music still can be surprisingly moving and thoughtful, which undoubtedly is why he was commissioned by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii to compose a song, "Annon," to commemorate the 750th birthday of Shinran Shonin, whose teachings live on in one of the largest and most influential schools of Buddhism in Japan.
"They were familiar with my music and wanted to see if I would write a song for them," he said. "It was really a huge honor."
The song begins with a similar melody meant to convey the simplicity of a Buddhist monk's life, he explained, and transitions to a more layered and melodic section that represents the complexities of life.
Shimabukuro said he has given more thought to his compositions as he has matured, sometimes toning down sections of older songs he thought were unnecessary.
"I think the way that I hear things and decisions I make have changed," he said. "I know that my ear is changing a lot. Songs I played five years ago are different. The voicings I'll use are different. The harmonizing is different."
That may be lost on the layman, but Shimabukuro said he tries to give his fans every opportunity to hear the subtleties of his four-string instrument. While saying he still loves playing with other musicians, he left his electric band years ago to focus on a solo career.
"I really want people to hear the subtle things a ukulele can do, the different colors you can get," he said. "I think right now it's a cool thing, but in the future, definitely I would like to play with a full band."
Also in the future, Shimabukuro said he would like to expand his arrangement skills and work with orchestras.
For now, though, he is happy to continue a worldwide tour that frequently brings him back to San Diego County.
"I think it's kind of an unusual thing to play back to back," he said about his two shows this week. "But I just love playing. If you want me to play anywhere, I'm like, yeah, sure."
