Today, I spent a couple of relaxing hours attending the 40th International Ukulele Festival. Fine weather, surrounded by happy faces and just palin good old music. I had brought my usually trustworthy Sony Cybershot to record some of the performers. BUT!~ Alas I returned home to find the memory stick BLANK!! (**#)  Oh well, I can always turn to You Tube to hijack some vids to make my point.
今日は二時間ばかり４０回国際ウクレレ祭りで寛いだ。天気良し、周りは笑顔、そして良い音楽。演奏を録画しようと何時も頼ってる愛用のソニーサイバーショットを持参。しかし、帰宅して調べたらメモリースチックに何も無い！まーYou Tube からビデオハイジャックして今回の主旨を書く。
As I sat there "chillin" at this international festivity, I realized that karate and ukulele had a point in common.
The point being both are accepted throughout the world regardless of culture. (^^) Wouldn't you agree that is a wondeful thing? NO walls or borders to shut things out. Martial arts and music tears down walls.
Walls that some how we all build without really thinking about it. Why do we build walls that often lead to conflicts and resulting in horrible consequences.? I truly hope that through karate training our children grow up without walls and can learn to live peacefully with anyone, anywhere. OSU!
寛いで中、空手とウクレレの共通点に気ずいた。共通点とは文化に違いが有っても受け入れられている事だ。壁や国境などの妨害が無い。武道と音楽は壁を崩すのである。自分達も知らず知らずにそのような壁を立てる。何事に争いとその悲惨な結果になる壁を立てるのだろう？自分は空手を通して壁の無い環境で育ってもらいたい、そして何所でも、誰とでも平和に生きてもらいたい。
Please enjoy the three samples of ukulele music. The first one is from Nova Scotia and the second from Hawaii.　I really wish the vid of James Hill playing a Nova Scotian folk song and doing he called a "foot dance"had come through. It was an amazing performance!
Oh, by the way, the ukulele orignated in Portugal and was brought to Hawaii by the Portugese immigrants.
三種類のウクレレ演奏を楽しんで下さい。最初がノバスコチア、続居てハワイの演奏です。ジェームス　ヒルの生演奏は録画失敗で本当に残念。ノバスコシア民謡と独特に足踊りは最高だった。
ちなみにウクレレはポルトガル生まれの楽器。ハワイのポルトガル移民が持ってきた。




My favorite ukulele piece! "Hula Girl" by Jake Shimabukuro.
The movie is based on a true story of how a failing coal mine town in Japan converted into a "Tropical Paradise" and found a way to rebuild the town. Great movie!
自分が大好きなウクレレ曲。ジェーク　島袋の"ﾌﾗｶﾞｰﾙ"　実際に炭鉱の町が熱帯の楽園に変わった話がベースです。