SACRAMENTO, Calif — A world-famous ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro will be in Modesto Wednesday for a concert. I got to meet up with him on his bus outside a recent concert in Carmel.
Shimabukuro first got attention with a YouTube video back in late 2005 and now he's touring the country on his own bus!
Shimabukuro told me he was lucky to be at the right place at the right time when YouTube was starting out. A video posted there quickly got to one million views and he was famous.
"It wasn't even me. Someone had taken a video clip from a TV show that I had done and put it on YouTube," Shimabukuro said. "Prior to that I was performing in Hawaii and had a record label deal in Japan, but after that video went viral it opened all of these doors and collaborations with other musicians."
Shimabukuro first learned to play at the age of four. I asked him what his 4-year-old self would think of him now.
Shimabukuro smiled, paused and said, "He would be grateful, then and now. I am. There's a Japanese word 'okagesamade.' It means 'I am what I am because of you.' For it means to celebrate those who came before. Being exposed at such a young age, all the lessons and all that I've learned, I love a chance to share on stage."
HERE ARE 3 THINGS TO KNOW:
CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF:
- Web: jakeshimabukuro.com/tour
- Location: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 20, Gallo Center for the Arts
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