Since its introduction to Hawai i in 1879 the ukulele has been many things a symbol of an island paradise a tool of political protest an instrument central to a rich musical culture a musical joke a highly sought after collectible a cheap airport souvenir a lucrative industry and the product of a remarkable synthesis of western and Pacific cultures The Ukulele A History explores all of these facets placing the instrument for the first time in a broad historical cultural and musical context Drawing on a wealth of previously untapped sources Jim Tranquada and John King tell the surprising story of how an obscure four string folk guitar from Portugal became the national instrument of Hawai i of its subsequent rise and fall from international cultural phenomenon to the Dangerfield of instruments and of the resurgence in popularity and respect it is currently enjoying among musicians from Thailand to Finland The book shows how the technologies of successive generations recorded music radio television the Internet have played critical roles in popularizing the ukulele Famous composers and entertainers Queen Liliuokalani Irving Berlin Arthur Godfrey Paul McCartney SpongeBob SquarePants and writers Rudyard Kipling Jack London P G Wodehouse Agatha Christie wind their way through its history as well as a host of outstanding Hawaiian musicians Ernest Kaai George Kia Nahaolelua Samuel K Kamakaia Henry A Peelua Bishaw In telling the story of the ukulele Tranquada and King also present a sweeping history of modern Hawaiian music that spans more than two centuries beginning with the introduction of western melody and harmony by missionaries to the Hawaiian music renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s