Entrevistas

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

(n. 1934) Ukelelista de Hawái

Living in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor

I was born on October 21st, 1934. I was born in Honolulu at the Kapi’olani Hospital. My father came here when he was about eighteen years old, from Hiroshima. My mother was, you know, bi-educated here and she graduated high school in Iwakuni, Japan.

It was on a Sunday that they bombed…you know, I was fishing. But I see all the anti-aircraft fire, they all were blank white spots Everybody thought it was strange. But nobody believed that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, you know.

People used to call us "Jap", you know, and we used to get in a fight, and they used to have small gangs in all different districts, you know...that were created because of this thing, you know.

Everybody painted their windows black, right? So you couldn't see even if you had the light on. There was a curfew. Adults, neighbors would come to the house, or you go to another neighbor's house and they make coffee, serve pastries, or something. This is in the evening, after dinner...you know. Or play cards, you know...play trumps or hanafuda or whatever. I remember that.

toques de queda Hawái músicos Estados Unidos Segunda Guerra Mundial

Fecha: August 2012

Zona: Hawai`i, US

Entrevista: John Esaki

País: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Entrevista

Con 78 años de edad, es conocido por los aficionados al ukelele en Japón y en todo el mundo como “Ohta-san”. Ohta-san es un experto ukelelista que aprendió de su madre a tocar el instrumento en Honolulu, antes de la segunda guerra mundial. Ha desempeñado un papel importante en la popularización del ukelele durante las décadas de los 60 y 70, ampliando el repertorio del instrumento al incluir pop internacional y jazz, además de las canciones hawaianas. En su entrevista, Ohta-san demuestra vívidamente su evolución estilística al tocar fragmentos de canciones que fueron significativas para su carrera. (Junio del 2014)