The KoAloha Ukulele
Jan 5, 2010 ukulele
Roy Sakuma wanted to combine the best elements of the various full-size ukuleles he’d played over the years while at the same time going beyond the instrument’s familiar sound.
The result? The KoAloha Ukulele.
Sakuma combined forces with friend, musician and craftsman Alvin Okami, who had already made a miniature ukulele that was fully playable. Together, they created the new, full-size KoAloha Ukulele.
Among the elements Sakuma and Okami have designed into the KoAloha are clarity of tone and acoustic volume, ease of playing and quality of appearance and detail. “It’s very clean when you hit the strings,” explains Sakuma. “There’s a very balanced sound, so you don’t hear one string dominating everything else.”
The KoAloha Ukulele is hand-crafted of native Hawaiian koa wood. Okami’s tremendous technical skills together with Sakuma’s 35 years of experience with the ukulele inspire their quest for excellence.
Roy Sakuma
Jan 5, 2010 ukulele
As a young protege of Herb “Ohta-San” Ohta, dean of Hawaii’s ukulele artists, Roy Sakuma quickly proved himself as a stellar student. When Ohta-San encouraged his disciple to venture out on his own, Roy didn’t follow in Ohta-San’s footsteps as a performing artist. Instead, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to teaching.
Since then, Roy has developed an effective and joyful method to teach anyone to play the ukulele. It begins with the understanding that many people find learning an instrument intimidating – especially if they can’t read music. Using Roy’s unique method, students learn to play and to read music at the same time. The system is fast and fun, about as close as you can get to becoming an instant ukulele player.
Roy and his wife Kathy opened the first Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studio in 1974. Since then, the Studio has expanded to four locations on Oahu with a staff of 25 instructors, all of whom are former students. Lessons are taught using a wide variety of musical styles ranging from traditional Hawaiian music, to pop and rock, to classics and jazz. The effect is to broaden the students’ musical repertoire.
Since 1970, Roy Sakuma and his sponsors have presented the Annual Ukulele Festival in Waikiki. Roy is the founder and executive director of the free Festival, which brings together the finest ukulele players in the world, an ukulele ensemble of over 300 children, and celebrity entertainers from Hawaii and the mainland.