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

Herb Ohta

(b. 1934) Ukulele player from Hawaii

Mother taught him how to play the ukulele

Yeah, my mother used to play the ukulele. In those days, it seemed it was only natural that each home had an ukulele, and it wasn’t an expensive instrument like it is today. You know, you could buy a good Kamaka ukulele for five dollars. Of course, at that time, five dollars was a lot of money, probably. But, you know, they all had one in the home...but she’s never played solo ukulele. She played mandolin, you know, but not solo ukulele. But she taught me the chords, you know, to play a certain song and sing, you know.

She told me, a long time ago, she said "You know, you can never eat playing the ukulele" Haha! That's what she told me. "You will never make it a livelihood, you can never eat playing the ukulele!" Hahaha!

Hawai'i music musical instruments musicians ukulele United States

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)