Uke Ireland & Ukuhooley Blog

Saw Yan Yalego in Belgium in May…He was a knockout!
Here he is with “the best washtub player in the world” doing “Rambling on My Mind”.

James Clem is a wonderful blues player I came across a couple of years ago and just love his version of this Robert Johnson’s classic ragtime number “They’re Red Hot” played on his National Reso Ukulele.

Fantastic performance from Jay & Christina Smart,  who were on a busking holiday in Ireland when the redoubtable Barry Whiteside  came across them and invited them along to the Ukulele Open Mic at the Shebeen tonight (November 30th).

They were a knock out and gave wonderful renderings of a few songs and the good news is that they will be back next year.

(Jay is the one in the middle on the uke!)

It’s on Saturday NEXT December 12th at 7.30pm upstairs at Doheny & Nesbitt, Merrion Row.

Just make sure to bring your Uke! (& partner!)

Just Magical!  Wonderful classical ukulele player and historian, John King, who passed away earlier this year playing Bach’s Prelude from the Cello Suite, No. 1.

UPDATE: 31st. December 2009:
OHANA UKULELES ARE NOW HERE IN IRELAND!
Strings.ie a very good online shop are now selling OHANA and you can see them by clicking on the Strings.ie link in the ukulele shops links side bar on this page.

Ohana have a fantastic range of carefully made and beautifully designed ukuleles and a well deserved reputation for attention to detail and quality control.

Our good friend Ken Middleton (YouTube Ukulele “Supremo”) came over to the Ukulele Hooley Festival and presented a wonderful display of what can only be described as “uke porn” (stunning ukuleles to the unitiated!) on the Ohana Stand and was literally beseiged by buyers pleading with him to sell some of the beautiful ukes he had brought along. Being the gentleman that he is Ken relented, and sold almost every ukulele he had brought with him.

Check out Ken’s reviews of some the latest in the Ohana range on YouTube:

At last Saturday’s Ukuhooley (Oct 10th) James Quah gave a very good workshop on clawhammer ukulele playing and he used this version of the old Stephen Foster song, “The Camptown Races” to demonstrate this style. James also has sent the Chords for this song (and others he demonstrated) and you will find them on the forum.
ALSO, James has just put up a refresher video of his Ukuhooley lesson and you can see it on the forum.

James Quah playing “Camptown Races”, Clawhammer Style

Shay Bagnall has assembled this motley crew to play at Weddings, Funerals, and any other form of public assembley. (Love what that guy can do with a book!)

As well as being a “deadly” uke player and enthusiast for all things “ukey”, Barry Whiteside has turned his mind and talent to creating his first cigar box ukulele…..and it looks and sounds brilliant!