Waikoloa Beach Resort hosted the 17th annual Great Waikoloa Ukulele Festival on Saturday. The free event took place at the Kings’ Shops and the Queens’ MarketPlace.
Nothing brings people together like music, and the Great Waikoloa Ukulele Festival has drawn audiences and ukulele artists from around the world since 2001 to celebrate Hawaii’s favorite instrument. In 1971, at a time when very few people were interested in the ukulele, Roy Sakuma organized the first Ukulele Festival on Oahu. It was Sakuma’s dream to produce a community concert to show people that the ukulele could be played as a serious solo instrument, in addition to being a fun rhythm instrument for background music. Today, he still directs the festival and holds a workshop for beginners and veterans alike.
Various artists performed on three stages with Uncle Willie K headlining at the Queens’ MarketPlace Coronation Pavilion.
The mission of the Ukulele Festival is to bring laughter, love and hope to children and adults throughout Hawaii and the world through the music of the ukulele, and the Sakumas are doing just that.