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Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!

12 Apr 01 - 04:02 PM (#439251)
Subject: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: Suffet

Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat! For those who don't already know, she is Evy Mayer of the Bronx, NY. You may have heard Evy with Triboro or with Fear of Flying Tomatoes. Or maybe you have her latest CD, Humor Me!

Go and check out her website: http://www.ukelady.com

Or click HERE!

--- Steve

12 Apr 01 - 06:09 PM (#439342)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: CarolC

Welcome to the Mudcat, UKELADY!

Carol

12 Apr 01 - 06:10 PM (#439344)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: Midchuck

She's trouble!

Peter.

12 Apr 01 - 06:57 PM (#439367)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: Mark Cohen

The same who sings rounds with Sol? Wonderful! And on Pesach yet! So when are you coming to Hawaii for more uke lessons? (Not from me, of course, I'm just a beginner.)

Aloha,
Mark

12 Apr 01 - 08:00 PM (#439406)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: Joy Bennett

Well, it's about bloody time!!!! Welcome to the fold!!

(not that I'm an old-timer)

but it's good to have you aboard.

Hey - the rest of you - there will be rounds abound at NEFFA -- I'll be there too

and rounds at the Clearwater fest in June.

see you there.

Joy

13 Apr 01 - 12:31 AM (#439534)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: katlaughing

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Mudcat Cafe, UkeLady! Sounds as though your reputation precedes you.*grin* If so, you'll fit right in.

katlaughing aka kat

13 Apr 01 - 02:54 AM (#439594)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: Peter Kasin

Welcome! "Fear of Flying Tomatoes." I love it. You're at home here!

-chanteyranger

13 Apr 01 - 02:59 AM (#439595)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: Sandy Paton

Trouble? This gal's Double Trouble! The meaning of this should become clear when you visit Evy's web site.

Sandy

13 Apr 01 - 08:34 AM (#439660)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: ukelady

Thanks Steve, Carol, Peter, Mark, Joy, kat, chanteyranger, and Sandy for the welcome. Yes, Mark, I sing rounds with Sol, and as Joy describes, will be doing some soon at NEFFA. I've also been to Hawaii three times, and hope to go back sometime soon. The last time I went was on a Goddess Tour of the islands. I got to see various sites that were connected with the Goddesses of Hawaii. I also got to play ukulele with Auntie Nona Beamer, a wonderful lady. She was teaching us a hula, and I took over playing uke from her so she could teach more effectively. I had the privilege of being called "cousin" by her. You've heard the expression, "Bringing coals to Newcastle", we'll I brought my koa Martin uke to Hawaii.

13 Apr 01 - 08:50 AM (#439669)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: LR Mole

Does the word "ukelele" really mean "leaping flea"? One of those reflexive things my mind fires off, and which might even be true. Welcome anyway.

13 Apr 01 - 11:59 AM (#439789)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: ukelady

Here's a brief history of the ukeulele and the origin of the name, copied from the Ukulele Diner website.

You see, after the gringos crushed the Hawaiian royalty and installed a fruit and sugar-extracting territorial government, immigrant workers arrived from Portugal, with their small, 4-string "braghina" guitars on their collective knee. Tuned somewhat differently from their more robust flamenco cousins, these smallish axes not only fit comfortably within a seaman's gig bag, but also provided a far from pompous sound. Elegant, and yet consumer-friendly, these guitars were one of the very few things the Eurotrash brought that - in the light of the fierce tropical sun of truth - seemed worthy of respect. Soon local and Portuguese craftsmen (such as the famous Nunes clan) were stamping out smaller versions, made of not-at-that-time-endangered tropical hardwoods. And, as you've probably guessed, the "braghina" evolved into the somewhat-more-compact "ukulele."

Since you're a smartypants, you know that "ukulele" does not mean "portuguese guitar," nor anything remotely similar. In fact, as you know from your doctoral dissertation, it means, "jumping flea." And there's an armload of apocrypha explaining how this patently preposterous name was adopted. The most common explanation is that a group of Hawaiians watched as Portuguese sailors played their braguinas, and described their finger movements as similar to "jumping fleas," (or, alternately, that they looked like they were scratching jumping fleas.)

Another version - according to famed guitar, banjo and uke collector, Akira Tsumura - holds that regular "army joe" Edward Purvis played his uke for King Kalakaua. People who saw Purvis play "transfered his nickname, which was 'ukulele,' to the small instrument he played."

Either way, the Hawaiians saw a good thing, and quickly assimilated the uke into their indigenous culture. The Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 featured Hawaiian music and hula dancing, and introduced the uke to the mainlanders. According to Pamela, of the raging West Coast uke monster band "Pineapple Princess," the uke was patented in the US in 1917, and, thereafter, we entered into "the ukulele Golden Age" of the early 1920's. Overnight, the uke was not only a mandatory accessory to the college career, but also a staple of vaudeville. Unfortunately, for most of the US, the uke was a fashion statement. So, while serious musicians such as Roy Smeck pushed the uke to its frontiers, and manufacturers experimented with hybrids (such as the banjolele and uk-e-lin) , the great masses forgot the instrument. Like most fads - such as oh, say, free speech - interest in the uke quickly declined.

For reasons as yet unexplained by historians, the US government recognized the decline in ukulele sales. Waiting until the best opportunity, Congress took it upon itself to declare war on Japan in 1942, to bring US servicemen into greater contact with this tremendously important cultural bulwark. Simultaneously, tone-deaf radio personality and domestic-violence connoiseur Arthur Godfrey brought the uke back with him from a mayhem-filled vacation to the territorial "protectorate" with his long-suffering spouse. Thereafter, the uke experienced its second flowering on the continental US vine, and, with the help of Elvis Presley (in BLUE HAWAII) and Ohta San, the ukulele became what it is today. Whatever that is.

13 Apr 01 - 12:05 PM (#439798)
Subject: A Brief History of the Ukulele
From: ukelady

Here's a brief history of the ukeulele and the origin of the name, copied from the Ukulele Diner website.

You see, after the gringos crushed the Hawaiian royalty and installed a fruit and sugar-extracting territorial government, immigrant workers arrived from Portugal, with their small, 4-string "braghina" guitars on their collective knee. Tuned somewhat differently from their more robust flamenco cousins, these smallish axes not only fit comfortably within a seaman's gig bag, but also provided a far from pompous sound. Elegant, and yet consumer-friendly, these guitars were one of the very few things the Eurotrash brought that - in the light of the fierce tropical sun of truth - seemed worthy of respect. Soon local and Portuguese craftsmen (such as the famous Nunes clan) were stamping out smaller versions, made of not-at-that-time-endangered tropical hardwoods. And, as you've probably guessed, the "braghina" evolved into the somewhat-more-compact "ukulele."

Since you're a smartypants, you know that "ukulele" does not mean "portuguese guitar," nor anything remotely similar. In fact, as you know from your doctoral dissertation, it means, "jumping flea." And there's an armload of apocrypha explaining how this patently preposterous name was adopted. The most common explanation is that a group of Hawaiians watched as Portuguese sailors played their braguinas, and described their finger movements as similar to "jumping fleas," (or, alternately, that they looked like they were scratching jumping fleas.)

Another version - according to famed guitar, banjo and uke collector, Akira Tsumura - holds that regular "army joe" Edward Purvis played his uke for King Kalakaua. People who saw Purvis play "transfered his nickname, which was 'ukulele,' to the small instrument he played."

Either way, the Hawaiians saw a good thing, and quickly assimilated the uke into their indigenous culture. The Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 featured Hawaiian music and hula dancing, and introduced the uke to the mainlanders. According to Pamela, of the raging West Coast uke monster band "Pineapple Princess," the uke was patented in the US in 1917, and, thereafter, we entered into "the ukulele Golden Age" of the early 1920's. Overnight, the uke was not only a mandatory accessory to the college career, but also a staple of vaudeville. Unfortunately, for most of the US, the uke was a fashion statement. So, while serious musicians such as Roy Smeck pushed the uke to its frontiers, and manufacturers experimented with hybrids (such as the banjolele and uk-e-lin) , the great masses forgot the instrument. Like most fads - such as oh, say, free speech - interest in the uke quickly declined.

For reasons as yet unexplained by historians, the US government recognized the decline in ukulele sales. Waiting until the best opportunity, Congress took it upon itself to declare war on Japan in 1942, to bring US servicemen into greater contact with this tremendously important cultural bulwark. Simultaneously, tone-deaf radio personality and domestic-violence connoiseur Arthur Godfrey brought the uke back with him from a mayhem-filled vacation to the territorial "protectorate" with his long-suffering spouse. Thereafter, the uke experienced its second flowering on the continental US vine, and, with the help of Elvis Presley (in BLUE HAWAII) and Ohta San, the ukulele became what it is today. Whatever that is.

13 Apr 01 - 12:07 PM (#439802)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: LR Mole

Smartypants!

13 Apr 01 - 12:12 PM (#439808)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: ukelady

I'm not smart at all. I tried to start a new trace, and just ended up duplicating my message. Then I did manage a new one, and the whole think turned into a clickable link. Aargh!

13 Apr 01 - 12:20 PM (#439816)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: LR Mole

No, it was just the first time someone's referred to me as a "smartypants" since Hector was a pup. With jumping fleas.

13 Apr 01 - 12:27 PM (#439824)
Subject: RE: Welcome UKELADY to Mudcat!
From: Midchuck

I already said this on the NEFFA thread, but will grasp at any straw as an excuse for shameless self-promotion:

Us Chucks and Evy, along with others of equally low standards of humor, will be doing a supposedly-funny songs workshop at noon-and-a-half on Saturday. Come listen, we promise not to do anything in bad taste! (Haw!).

Peter.