I got to jam on one of the WORLD'S OLDEST UKULELES!! - ft. Mika Kane

On a recent trip to Oahu I had the incredible opportunity to visit with Shawn Yacovone of Ukulele Friend and play these remarkable instruments with Mika Kane. From Shawn,
"The ukulele you played is from 1885. It was handcrafted by Jose do Espírito Santo. The ukulele Mika played is from 1890 and that was handcrafted by Manuel Nunes. Both of these instruments were made prior to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and are among the earliest known examples of ukuleles to be made."
For more information:
"HAWAIIAN MUSIC ARCHIVES
This ambitious new public-private partnership is building a uniquely accessible collection that seeks to honor Hawaii's rich legacy by documenting all aspects of Hawaiian music for research and educational purposes.
The partnership between the Hawaii State Archives, 'Ukulele Foundation of Hawaii, Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum, 'Ukulele Guild of Hawaii, Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings, Honoka'upu 'Ukulele Collection, and Line Studio is international in scope, reflecting the lasting popularity of Hawaiian music around the world.
Much of the material already in the archives - including tens of thousands of music recordings and hundreds of historic 'ukulele - was previously locked away in private collections. Our goal is to make this material freely accessible to the public.
We are seeking tax-deductible contributions of every facet of Hawaiian music from the 19th century to today: instruments and cases, strings, sheet music, instruction books, sound, film and video recordings,
advertisements, personal papers, company archives and other material.
Financial donations are also gratefully accepted.
For more information, email [e-mail]."
mattukulele.com

[@tracythorleifson4108]

That was sweet! I was gifted my first uke, a vintage 1932 Martin S1, by my stepdad, whom my mom met and married a few years after my dad passed. He gave me that little Martin after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer; he said he wanted to see me enjoying it while he was still with us. I didn’t really realize what a princely gift it was at the time, but there was no way I wasn’t going to learn to play it. Mom’s gone now, too. I think of them both every time I pick it up. Lots and lots of precious memories tied up in those old instruments. It’s part of what makes them sound so lovely, I think.

[@MattDahlberg]

That’s such an amazing story, Tracy. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@G..G..]

That's so touching😢 Enjoy it.

[@christinetaylor2156]

So cute…. They look so tiny on you 😀 looks like you’re holding a baby haha. You made it sound awesome 😊

[@richarddelia6709]

Very sweet Matt!!!! 👍

[@sherlynn7211]

wow,, how special is this! :D

[@paulkanat3227]

Gorgeous little ukes!!