The jumping flea that will make you smile

In Hawaiian folklore, the word for the four-string instrument so closely identified with the island’s culture means “jumping flea”. It comes from the speed with which the strummer’s fingers dance across the ukulele’s strings.

The ukulele traveled to Hawaii with Portuguese immigrants in the late 1900s and since then its popularity has risen and fell like that of a yo yo.

Gladesville Guitar Factory owner Paul Chalker has sold the little instrument for 40 years and claims never to have seen anything like the current ukulele resurgence.

“Most definitely there’s been a huge boom in ukulele sales in the past few years,” Chalker says.
“It’s a phenomenon, but the more people playing musical instruments the better, I say.”

Chalker said the resurgence in the humble uke’s popularity is because of the tribute concert for George Harrison, filmed in 2002 a year after the Beatle’s death. As Chalker watched the televised concert, and saw British musician Joe Brown close the show with a brilliant ukulele solo, and he sensed something big was about to happen.

“I just said to [the] guys, ukelele sales are gonna take off. I jumped straight on the phone to our supplier, and the rest is history,” Chalker says.

For good reason, the ukulele is known as the people’s instrument – it’s inexpensive, easy to learn, you can take it anywhere and you can play it solo or as an accompaniment.

“It’s a very social instrument and it completely cuts across all demographics,” Chalker says.
“It appeals to kids, to pensioners, to professional musicians.”

Two of Sydney’s rising stars of the ukulele underground are teachers Simon Figliuzzi from Marrickville and his friend James Clark from Bankstown.

Their duo, The Ukeles, took the Melbourne Ukulele Festival by storm in March this year. The crowd couldn’t get enough of their renditions of the Spanish Flea, the Pink Panther and many Beatles songs. The Ukeles have recorded original songs such as a tribute to their inner-west stomping ground, Marrickville by Moonlight, complete with an intro of loud planes flying overheard and barking dogs.

Clark believes the ukulele is the happiest instrument on the planet.

“You could play the saddest song in the world, and on ukulele it’ll make you smile,” he says as he strums away to Radiohead’s Creep on a sunny winter afternoon.

Simon adds they didn’t start the group because of any fad.

“We started playing as an excuse to drink beers on my balcony on a Friday night.

“We’re not going to be ukulele virtuosos,” he says referring to their uke idol Jake Shimabukuro, “but we just do it cos it’s fun.”

They put some recordings on Myspace and before long were soon approached to do some gigs.

“It’s taken on a life of it’s own,” James says.

• The Ukeles are playing on Monday July 18 at Gladstone Park Bowling Club, Darvell St via Booth St in Balmain, 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
See: www.myspace.com/theukeles
Simon is currently available for uke lessons in the inner west.

• Balmain Ukulele Club meets on the first teen Monday each month at Gladstone Park Bowling Club and is free with no joining fee. They sell $25 Mahalo ukes on the night.
See: www.ukuleleclub.net

• Gladesville Guitar Factory regularly holds ukulele workshops.
Jumping Flea Matt Dahlberg is performing on Tuesday 11 July, 7pm,
$25 per ticket. www.guitarfactory.net