Not so ordinary

In Hawaii, playing the ukulele is far from out of the ordinary.

In fact, it’s downright normal.

But for Jake Shimabukuro, the common ukulele became a strange obsession at a young age.

After picking up ukulele at age 4 – at the urging of his mother, who also played – Shimabukuro flipped from traditional Hawaiian songs to Top 40 hits.

He released a couple of albums in Hawaii, but catapulted to international fame on the jet streams of a viral video on YouTube of him in Central Park performing “While My Heart Gently Weeps.” The clip is has more than 9 million views and counting.

Now in his mid-30s, the ukulele virtuoso is regularly compared to Jimi Hendrix, dubbed the “Miles Davis of the Ukulele,” getting props from the likes of the New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR, Time, National Geographic, and even Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, who himself recently released an album of ukulele songs.

The ukulele dynamo has done the rounds on the morning and late-night talk show circuit, shared the stage with the likes of Béla Fleck, Yo-Yo Ma, Ziggy Marley, Stanley Clarke, Les Paul, Jimmy Buffet and, while appearing alongside Bette Midler, performed for the Queen of England.

His latest, “Peace Love Ukulele,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard World Albums Chart when it was released a year ago.

The album contains originally arranged solo ukulele pieces accompanied with a full band, with elements of a symphony orchestra or a marching band for extra dressing. Of the album’s two covers, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the only solo ukulele performance on the record.

Regarded for his innovative treatment of the limited instrument – with its four strings and two octaves – Shimabukuro redefined the ukulele with an adaptable combination of rhythmic strumming, classical-style fingerpicking and fretboard tapping.

Among his biggest influences are Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Bruce Lee and Bill Cosby.

“Bruce Lee’s philosophy on martial arts was that it was simply a form of human expression,” he said in a publicity release. “And he didn’t believe in sticking to one ‘style.’ He studied all forms and was open to everything. And Bill Cosby – now here was a performer who just sat in a chair with a microphone, and brought joy to millions with his stories. He connects with an audience like no other.”