Description: The ukulele is a 4-stringed lute having a short neck and a flat back and a member of the chordophone family. The popularity of the ukulele spread throughout Europe and in South East Asia including the Philippines and Indonesia under the name [krioncong] and the South Pacific outside of Hawaii this includes Tonga, Fiji, Micronesia, Samoa and Papua New Guinea. The post contact history of the ukulele in Hawaii dates back since the contact between the Indigenous Hawaiian’s and the Portuguese immigrants who landed there. Agusto Dias, Jose De Espirito Santo and Manuel Nuñes; were three luthier’s who were highly regarded for the craftsmanship in making high quality ukuleles. A popular legend in Hawaii tells a story about a Portuguese musician named Joao Fernandes when he landed in the Hawaiian shores during the 1880s he was playing his braguinha and singing Portuguese folk melodies. The Indigenous Hawaiians were impressed by his speed of playing and gave the braguinha the name “ukulele” in Hawaiian the name “ukulele” translates to “jumping flea”.

King David Kalakaua (b. November 16, 1836 d. January 20, 1891) laid-down the foundations that developed later into the "Ukulele boom" and he also contributed to the "Hula competitions" we know today. The tradition of Hula dancing predates the arrival of the ukulele. Traditionally the ukulele was meant to accompany singing, 5, 6 and 8 string ukuleles also exist although they are often custom made. The 8-string ukulele is also referred to as the "Tarro Patch Ukulele" or the "Tarro Patch Fiddle". Initially the ukulele was strung with gut-strings synthetic nylon strings are now the standard for this instrument.

In Mainland North America: During the 1900s the ukulele was introduced into mainland North America. In the year 1915 the ukulele was the main feature at the Hawaii exhibit in the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, USA. The year after in 1916 Lyon & Healy of Chicago USA advertized the ukulele in their catalogue. Their models of ukulele were made by M. Nuñes & Sons in Honolulu Hawaii. Their advertisement for the ukulele described the instrument as “the favorite of college men and women everywhere and the fad of the hour”. Advertisers R. W. Hefflefinger and his firm had published a self instruction manual for the Ukulele and Hawaiian guitar entitled “self instruction manual of sorts for the ukulele and the Hawaiian guitar". During the 1940s the Author Godfrey and his TV show and musician Tiny Tim [Herbert B. Khaury] solidified the popularity of the ukulele in mainland North America. A plastics manufacturer Mario Maccaferri produced an estimated 9 million inexpensive ukuleles. In Canada during the 1960s J. Chalmers Doan introduced the ukulele as a means to teach music elementary school music programs throughout the country. This introduction of the ukulele became a staple due to the simplicity of the chords and teaching the instrument.