Interviews

1. Living in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor

2. Mother taught him how to play the ukulele

3. Inspired to play ukulele after hearing Eddie Kamae

4. How he got on the All-Navy show on Ed Sullivan

5. Friend convinced him to make a record

6. Number 1 Hit "Sushi"

7. Playing 3 shows a night in Waikiki

8. "Song for Anna"

9. Performing in Japan

Ohta,Herb

(b. 1934) Ukulele player from Hawaii

Playing 3 shows a night in Waikiki

Yeah, I just played, like tried to build a show, an exciting show of musical talent, you know, one after another. Try to cram an hour’s music time into like forty-five minutes or something.

We used to play like three shows a night, I think, at the Ilikai Hotel and they had a cover charge, $2.50 or something. And that place was lined up! That’s when things were good in the late 60’s. Locals came out to Waikiki, and they had a line all the way down to the street.

[Play music]

Hawaii Honolulu music musical instruments musicians Oahu ukulele United States Waikiki

Date: August 2012

Location: Hawai`i, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

78-years-old, is known by ukulele fans in Japan and around the world as "Ohta-san." Ohta-san is a master ukulele player who learned to play the instrument from his mother in the pre-World War II era in Honolulu. He played a major role in popularizing the ukulele in the 1960s and 70s, expanding the repertoire of the instrument beyond Hawai`ian songs to include international pop and jazz. In his interview, Ohta-san vividly demonstrates his stylistic development by playing excerpts from songs that were significant to his career. (June 2014)