9th Annual Ukulele Guild of Hawaii Exhibition & Conference

I recently visited Hawaii and had the opportunity to attend the 9th Annual Ukulele Guild of Hawaii Exhibition & Conference which was held this year at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel in Waikiki. Many thanks to Bryan Tolentino (photo left to right: Bryan, Joe Souza of Kanile'a Ukulele, and me) for letting me know about this event and introducing me to Kimo Hussey, Kamuela Kimokeo and the Guild folks - it was a good hang! Got there during Dickie Boy Cantohos' set and thoroughly enjoyed his playing - a nice combination of seamless strumming and melodic plucking that felt very Hawaiian-style to me. Bryan calls it "non-confrontational" because it's not flashy (doesn't have to be) but impressive all the same.

I really enjoy listening to Bryan's style of playing - in fact he's one of my favorites. Very tasteful and mindful of those he is accompanying, a real team player. You can catch him Tuesday nights with Weldon Kekauoha at the new Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach at the beginning of Waikiki, near Fort Derussy. Be sure to check him out live when you have the chance! You can also pick up a copy of his solo CD here.

So anyway, there were lots of great looking ukulele there, although since you weren't supposed to touch 'em, I couldn't tell you how they sound. Bryan tells me he used to be a board member of the guild and always strived to strike the right balance between instruments that looked great and instruments that looked AND sounded great, which is not always the case. Here's a couple of photos of the ukes they had on display, you can see more here.

It was a nice event, one they are still working to expand on. I only saw the exhibition part but they offered ukulele building and playing seminars as well. I wish them continued success and hope to have the opportunity to help promote the annual event.