Ukulele History: Where the Ukulele Really Came From

The ukulele is one of the most recognizable symbols of Hawaii, but it did not originate there. It arrived in Honolulu Harbor in August 1879 on a ship called the Ravenscrag, carried by Portuguese immigrants from the island of Madeira. Within a generation, Hawaiians had adopted it, refined it, and made it their own. Within two generations, Hawaiian musicians had introduced it to the world.

Portuguese origins

The instrument that became the ukulele was the braguinha or machête (also called cavaquinho), a small four-stringed instrument played in Madeira and the Azores. It belonged to the cavaquinho family of Portuguese instruments and was traditionally tuned with gut strings. When the ship Ravenscrag arrived in Honolulu on August 23, 1879, carrying 423 Portuguese contract workers recruited for Hawaii's sugar plantations during labor shortages, at least two men aboard were skilled braguinha players: João Fernandes and Manuel Nunes.

Fernandes reportedly jumped off the ship upon arrival and began playing on the dock to celebrate the end of the long voyage from Funchal, Madeira. His music drew a crowd of delighted Hawaiian onlookers who had never heard the instrument before. The Hawaiian Gazette newspaper noted the event. Nunes, along with fellow Madeira immigrants Augusto Dias and José do Espírito Santo, would go on to become the first ukulele makers in Hawaii, establishing workshops in Honolulu where they built instruments using local Hawaiian koa wood instead of the European woods traditionally used in Portugal. The use of koa - a native hardwood prized for its warm, resonant tone and distinctive grain - became one of the defining characteristics of the Hawaiian ukulele.

Hawaii's adoption of the ukulele

The Hawaiian adoption of the instrument was enthusiastic and rapid. Native Hawaiians quickly learned to play it, and Hawaiian craftsmen began making their own versions. The use of koa wood, which gives Hawaiian ukuleles their distinctive warm tone, was an early innovation.

The most important champion of the ukulele in its early years was King David Kalākaua, who ruled Hawaii from 1874 to 1891. Kalākaua was a musician himself, and he embraced the ukulele as part of the broader revival of Hawaiian arts he championed. He played ukulele at court events and encouraged its spread. Queen Liliʻuokalani, who succeeded him and composed the beloved song "Aloha ʻOe," also played and composed for the instrument.

The royal endorsement gave the ukulele cultural prestige. It moved from the plantation workers' camps into the parlors of the Hawaiian court and the homes of ordinary people across the islands.

How the ukulele spread to the world

The key moment in the ukulele's global spread came at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. Hawaii had a pavilion at the fair, and Hawaiian musicians performed there daily, showcasing the ukulele and Hawaiian guitar to an American audience that had never encountered them. The response was immediate and enthusiastic.

Within years, ukulele instruction books were selling by the millions in the United States. The instrument became a craze in the 1920s, associated with the Jazz Age and popularized by vaudeville performers. Tin Pan Alley composers wrote songs for it. It spread to Britain and Europe. By the 1930s, the ukulele was one of the most popular instruments in the Western world.

Ukulele in Hawaii today

The ukulele never lost its central place in Hawaiian music. It is taught in schools across Hawaii and played at family gatherings, beach parties, and formal concerts. Master players like Israel Kamakawiwoʻole carried it to global audiences. A global revival beginning in the early 2000s brought a new generation of players worldwide.

Handcrafted Hawaiian ukuleles made from koa remain the most prized in the world. Luthiers on the Big Island, Maui, and Oʻahu produce instruments for players ranging from beginners to professional musicians. If you want to buy a genuine Hawaiian ukulele, look for makers who use Hawaiian koa and build by hand.