A Brief History Of The Ukulele
The Ukulele is a four-stringed, fretted instrument. It is usually strummed, either with bare fingers or using a plectrum.
Though generally associated with Hawaii, the Ukulele actually originated from Portugal and was known as a Braguinha. When it reached Hawaii in the late Nineteenth Century, it became known as the Ukulele: uku meaning flea, lele meaning dance.
The Ukulele's popularity soured in Twentieth Century America. Here, the Banjo-Ukulele (or banjulele) was invented. It was a hybrid of the two instruments, created because of the low volume of a soprano Ukulele.
The Banjulele's most famous exponent -- and the best known Uke player in Britain -- was George Formby, a British actor and comedian who recorded a number of songs accompanying himself on his many Ukueles and Banjuleles.
Later in the Twentieth Century, the Ukulele's popularity in the US waned, it is now played largely by enthusiasts but in Japan (where Hula is huge) it remains very popular and the recent success of the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain proves that the Ukuele is alive and strumming in the UK too.
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