Hula Bluebirds, The

During the first quarter of the twentieth century, Hawaiian music achieved remarkable popularity. In 1916, for example, Americans bought more Hawaiian records than any other sort. This popularity ended, but the music changed along with that of mainland USA. By the 1950s Hawaiian music had become the sloshy soundtrack for Elvis films. But during its heyday of the 1920s and 30s it was musically as hot as Louis Armstrong, as crazy as The Marx Brothers and as cool as Fred Astaire.

The instantly recognizable ingredients of Hawaiian music arrived in the islands towards the end of the last century. Vocal harmony and the ukulele were imported, along with the guitar. With strings raised and tuning altered, the latter was now played with a steel bar. This newly fashioned ‘steel guitar’ (as it was soon known) was an instant hit. By 1905 the first generation of professional steel players were hitting the vaudeville circuit around the US. The players were showmen and technical wizards, fusing the Hawaiian style with ragtime and then jazz.

The Hula Bluebirds are a trio who play acoustic music from this golden era.

Martin Wheatley has worked with all the leading vintage jazz musicians, such as Keith Nichols, Neville Dickie, and Dick Sudhalter. He records and broadcasts regularly and has toured the US performing in 36 of the 50 states, including Hawaii, where an interest in vintage Hawaiian music became a passion. Playing a 1928 National steel guitar, he is one of only a handful of people on the globe who are convincing exponents of this style.

David Crofts plays ukulele in the traditional island style, and mixes this finger work with sleight-of-hand magic, giving the show a real vaudeville flavour.

Jake Rodrigues on guitar and vocals completes the Bluebird trio. Having performed in over 10 countries in the last 4 years, Jake’s playing experience, from Midge Ure to Euro Disney, enables the trio to play not only Hawaiian but also hot swing and comedy music from pre-war America.

Vintage Hawaiian music has common roots with a number of seemingly unrelated musical styles – folk, jazz, blues, country, world music. It can be enjoyed by fans of all these genres. The Bluebirds’ show, although musically authentic, is no mere academic recreation involving, as it does, healthy doses of vaudeville and hokum. If Martin’s firework fretwork doesn’t grab you, then David’s magic or Jake’s mournful yodelling will.

So, why paddle in the shallows of life when you can be swept away on a tide of hot, sweet and swinging hula blues and jazz.

New for 2010 – The Hula Bluebirds are now offering team building and stress busting sessions for corporate clients and workshops for family fun days and festivals. Learn to play a tune on the uke in an hour! The cost of instruments can be factored in to a quote so that participants can take one home with them and continue to hone their new found skills.

Aloha.