[cheerful ukelele music]
[singing in Hawaiian]
- Chris Kamaka: The ukulele was actually first introduced
here in the islands by the early immigrants
that came over from Portugal in the late 1800s.
The Hawaiians were so fascinated
watching their fingers move up and down the fingerboard
that it reminded them of a jumping flea,
which uku is flea and lele means to leap.
[singing in Hawaiian]
- People just love the sound,
and for the Hawaiian music and dance, it was perfect.
But even then we sang old cowboy songs too.
- We wouldn't have the ukulele today
if it weren't for the Kamaka family.
You know, they really invented the modern-day ukulele.
- It's a family-run business,
and the love that we put into our business
is the same love that we have for our family,
so it's sharing our family with the world.
[singing in Hawaiian] [bright ukulele music]
- Kamaka was first started by my grandfather back in 1916.
[saw buzzing]
[gentle music]
He was a musician, started building the instruments
in his garage as a hobby.
Eventually, he built the first factory.
- I started working for my father when I was four.
And if you came into my father's shop in 1930,
his question to you would be, "How many would you like?
This is stockage, $5 each."
- In the early days, my dad was creating ukulele
in a traditional guitar shape.
One day, one of the people visiting says,
"Why don't you create an oval ukulele?"
And that's the birth of our pineapple ukulele.
- My father made instruments, but from my mother's side,
they were all professional entertainers.
My mother was of what they call a kumu today.
She taught hula.
We grew up with music, entertaining, hula dancing.
- We loved to watch the girls do it.
[both chuckling]
- People always ask me, "What is the difference
between your ukuleles and everyone else's ukuleles?"
and I say, "Well, you know, we make them."
But the main difference to me is it has soul, you know?
There's a soul in it.
We try to bring it to life.
[sander buzzing]
- Fred: In my father's shop, the saws,
the sanding machines all had belts,
and if you weren't careful to put the belts on...
Hold up your fingers.
We have 'em all.
Didn't lose any. - Yours is crooked.
- We didn't lose any.
He was a perfectionist.
I knew because every time I did something wrong,
I was making a piece of junk.
He refused to sell it.
My father was dying in December '53 so he called us home.
He said, "I don't know if you two
were gonna take over the business, but if you do,"
he said, "Don't you dare ever ruin that name by making-- "
and he was looking right at me when he said it, " --junk."
[bright ukulele music]
We decided to take over the business
and we started, used two Ks, for two of us.
[bright ukulele music]
- You know, they had a great partnership going,
whereas my grandfather did everything,
the two brothers sort of split it.
You know, some say Sam got the Hawaiian side,
so he's the craftsman,
and Fred got the Chinese side, so he's the businessman.
[bright ukulele music]
- If it weren't for Kamaka ukuleles, you know,
I wouldn't be able to play the way that I play.
Their instruments are sensitive, you know,
and I tell people that.
That's what you need.
You need a sensitive instrument, and the Kamaka ukuleles
just respond to everything that you do.
You're able to have this tremendous tonal vocabulary,
and they're made to do that.
And it pushes me to keep improving my craft.
[bright ukulele music]
[sander rubbing]
- You know, most family businesses
don't make it past the first generation
and very few, if any, make it past the second generation,
and usually it's because the children go on
and do other things.
- When we were young, my dad would put us to work
and then after high school,
I wanted to go off and do something else for a while.
After I became a pilot, it still afforded me enough time off
where I could always come back and help him.
- I really didn't think I was gonna be part of the business.
I was gonna go into the Air Force,
but when I actually first jumped in those small planes, then,
"Oh, no, this is not for me." [chuckling]
[sander rustling]
- Generating the sound the instrument produces,
the soundboard is the main component,
and what I'm doing here is shaping the braces
that are underneath the soundboard.
You still need the strength,
but you still need the flexibility for the vibration
to be able to transverse across the top.
But as you lighten these braces up
and you adjust the shapes of them,
acoustically, it starts to come alive.
- The job Chris does,
which is the day-to-day production manager job,
he can sit there and he can check, you know,
15 ukuleles every day
to keep things going out the door.
- What I'm looking for basically is to make sure
the action of the strings is at the correct height,
evenly spaced and lined up,
as well as the height of the saddle,
so when customer picks up the ukulele, [strums]
you know, it's comfortable to play
and, you know, you want them to pick up the ukulele
and not put it down. [strums]
- Here at Kamaka, you definitely need a good ear and a good eye,
especially if you're the final check like my dad.
But he doesn't catch everything.
But for the most part, he's pretty good,
but once in a while, you got to keep him in check, you know.
[people chatting] [ukulele strumming]
[singing in Hawaiian]
- I think Sam would be proud
of what we've been able to accomplish,
that we've been able to keep the company going.
You know, now that there are some fourth generation members
working at the company, well, hopefully it'll continue.
[singing in Hawaiian] - Kiss me!
* Kiss me, my darling [singing in Hawaiian]
- I'm not as flexible as I used to be,
but I can still occasionally sing a melody
to keep the ukulele going. [chuckles]
[singing in Hawaiian]
So in a year or so, we'll be able to celebrate 100 years
of the Kamaka family creating the ukulele.
[singing in Hawaiian]
And it's been a fabulous journey.
[singing in Hawaiian]
[ukuleles strumming]
[people applauding]
Aloha. [chuckling]