17JUL25
like Roy Sakuma
a poem daily
on the run
like the ukulele
it's lots of fun
have to think quick
like a puma
learn how to pick
like Roy Sakuma
might be soon
do we know
ukulele tunes
in his studio
he has four
just like the strings
let your fun soar
on the uke's wings
bigfoot is not around
close enough to hear it
but he joins the sound
with his spirit
it is fun there
staying calm
strumming under
the swaying palms
We have mentioned the vibe quite a bit in this blog. Two of my favorite topics are the ukulele and bigfoot. It seems all you have to do is just mention either one and people just naturally smile. And honestly the ukulele is probably even lower key than bigfoot. No pun intended. Most people don’t see the uke as a convenient platform to launch into a debate. Which is not always the case with the big guy.
I thought that the best way to introduce the uke into the blog would be thru this man. I have actually been to his studio in Aiea several times. We once took a six year old there and enrolled him in lessons. I will always remember how pumped up he was after his first lesson. The only thing more impressive than his ambition and dedication at that moment in time was how fast it dried up or evaporated in the following days. In the following years I would tag along on Monday nights on the drive from Kapolei to Aiea during my visits to Oahu. He would be in the back seat playing the uke for the first time since the previous week’s lesson. And even then he would be more focused on negotiating what he considered to be a more favorable place to dine on the trip home than trying to learn the song that he had supposed to have been practicing all week. But I will have to admit it is an entertaining memory.
I remember sitting in the waiting room or office and listening to the kids playing uke in the classrooms behind closed doors with their teachers. The stories that the young moms seemed to tell the most usually revolved around them holding their breath while they watched their six or seven year old carry or swing his or her brand new expensive Hawaiian koa ukulele around like it was one on their other plastic toys. As you will see in the video Roy Sakuma hosted the Annual Ukulele Festival for years.
As we chase and try to ride the right vibe in this blog we salute and recognize Roy Sakuma. He is truly an emissary of the ukulele, joy, fun and happiness. Enjoy the video. Think about picking up a uke. You can pick up one very inexpensively on eBay. A lot of people really like the Makala Dolphin. They are usually around or below $50 on eBay. And mine usually sound as good or better than more expensive solid wood ukuleles. The Dolphin has a plastic back and sides and laminated wood top. This also allows them to come in a whole assortment of colors. In the very near future you will begin to see a ukulele in the beginning of the flyover videos on the blog.
It is a neat video and story in more ways than one. I hope that it inspires you and makes you smile.
Here is the link for the video.(6:27)
