Doggie Style!

There is a phrase one sings when tuning the ukulele which goes, "My Dog Has Fleas". That's why these little doggies have their own cigar box ukuleles. I make them out of socks and their ukes are made of matchboxes. Click on the image to enlarge. Observe: They have belly buttons! These dogs and more Musical Wonders and Curiosities are available at 'The Jumping Flea Market'.

Bosko & Honey Ukulele Safari Compilation CD Available Here & Now!

This is a CD i designed for the wonderful ukulele duo, Bosko & Honey. With 75 minutes of listening pleasure, this Compilation CD is packed with diversity, talent and entertainment comprised of 22 tracks and 22 artists from 8 different countries. It also comes with a beautiful full color 18 page booklet. Besides this, check out track 21... It's an original song from Marko & i. (Woohoo, our first appearance in CD form!)
All proceeds from the CD's sold in my store will be used to buy groceries which we will be very thankful for.

Here's the Track-list:
1. Bosko & Honey - Road Trip
2. Peter Madcat Ruth - Red-Winged Blackbird
3. Sumakichan - Mamorunjah Theme Song
4. Tim Sweeney - Back to You
5. Gerald Ross - Lemon Peel Rag
6. Daisy Dobuyuki - Ukulele Daddy
7. The Windy City Islanders - We're Having a Luau
8. Fabio KoRyu Calabrò - Ukustrocca Filalele
9. Tarasuna - Kaze ga naku
10. John Pak - Ukulele Safari
11. Ukulelezaza - Lilli K
12. Max the Ukulele Punk Rocker - Please Stay
13. Shigeto - Kokyu
14. Gensblue (with Bosko & Honey) - Earthquake
15. Ukulele Igor - Carelian Stomp
16. Taka & Nya☆mi - Chiisana te
17. Mr. Jaynickel - Mots de têtes
18. Jon Prown - Thirty Below
29. Yalego - In the Pines
20. Happy☆Hoppy - Kodomo Blues
21. The Uke Box - Firefly Crown
22. T. Yoshimura - Soul Traveller

'How To Make A Phonograph'

From the 1917 June Issue of Illustrated World Source: Modern Mechanix

The Ukulele Festival of Great Britain...

was the Big Damn Ukulele business, y'all! Great performances and such fun seeing all of our international ukulele pals. Especially a thrill to finally meet Pete Howlett, the maker of my beautiful costom ukulele.

And, i think that our performance didn't suck...which is always a good thing. Well, i'm never quite sure how we sound but we did look cute! :) Check out that big damn Union Jack ukulele! There was a door in it through which you entered the stage. Thanks to everyone involved in organizing this fest. Y'all really spoiled us. Hope to see you all real soon... Maybe at the Wukulele Festival in Worthing in October!

The Happiest Birthday Wishes...

To the person who has been my biggest support and inspiration both as mentor and friend. A woman whose talents and determination are so great that she is capable of just about anything. But, one so humble that she'd rarely say so herself. Hot Air Ballooning, Working as an EMT with the Volunteer Fire Department, Serving as Planning Commissioner for her hometown of Long Beach - Mississippi, Performing in Biloxi, Mississippi in the mid 60's as a singer and ukulele player, Running McCarter Lane Guest House and Cycling 11,000 miles on her beloved bicycle 'Claire'....this is just a small selection of all the amazing things this gal has done and does.
Besides this she's LOTS of FUN. The type whose house is often full of friends whom she spoils with hospitality and culinary wonders from her kitchen. The one who suggests everyone get together and do something silly and actually gets them to do it. Skinny dipping, sleeping in a van in the French Quarter, Water Skiing with her panty hose still on, spontaneously reenacting 'The Wizard of Oz' (complete with choreography)... she's just so great at making life more colorful,... and this all on a week day!
Her name?...
'Tonda Kae'
She is a powerful force and a beautiful woman
...and thankfully
she's my mom.

Happy Birthday Mom
I Love You and Miss You Very Much

Rotterdamse Oogst

There's a wonderful festival this Saturday in Rotterdam North. It's part of a campagne called 'Rotterdamse Oogst' (Rotterdams Harvest). Their mission is to make more produce from the area available in the area. It is a mix of the best that the provinces and the city have to offer each other. Honest, healthy products, artisanal techniques, farmers wisdom, innovative technology, design talent and a world of flavors. I'm all for it!

This saturday is the presentation fest, 'Zomers Bèèèèhtjes en Bietjes Kinderfeest’ (Baa Baa and Beets Childrens Fest...for children from 0 to 88+). Apparently there is going to be mini gardening, wheel barrow races, planter pimping, a worm factory, guerilla knitting with sheeps wool and Martin Oosthoek is bring a herd of sheep! Besides this, The Uke Box and The Big Damn Ukulele Band will be playing in the Hay Bail Tent! Yeeeehaw! Put your overalls, straw hat and wooden shoes on and have a ball with us on the farm in the middle of the city of Rotterdam!

(Oh, and september is the Harvest Fest at which i am looking forward to conducting a vegetable orchestra!)

Packing up the dogs for a trip

They are going to The Ukulele Festival of Great Britain and we are too! 'The Uke Box' will be performing, giving a beginners ukulele workshop and we'll also have 'The Jumping Flea Market' set up to sell our wonderful 'Musical Wonders & Curiosities' such as these adorable handmade dogs with their cigarbox ukuleles.

Oh, and something a bit new... René "Polygoon" Verberne is joining us on stage. He has added a cool twist to our humble act and we're very much looking forward to performing with him. But mostly, we're really looking forward to seeing our UK Ukulele Friends there and meeting new ones. Well, i've got signs to paint and ironing to do...otherwise no one is going anywhere! Later Sweet Potat'rs!

There's Music in Everything

From the June issue of Popular Mechanics, 1936.

Click on the images to ZOOM.
Source: Modern Mechanix

Found the perfect notebook for writing songs....