Well of course he is wearing a Hawaiian shirt – what else could he wear? The cabinet on which he rests his hands contains his entire family history – carved from wood and carefully strung.įred’s full name is Frederik Kamaka Senior, and he was the second son of Sam Kamaka, who first established the famous Kamaka Ukulele factory back in 1916. He wears a short-sleeved, light blue shirt decorated with a floral motif, revealing deeply tanned and slender arms. His hands are freckled with liver spots, his hair is a startling white. There is something truly special about the environment, the sun, the relaxed attitude of Honolulu’s locals.Īnd so we are introduced to Fred, who comes in and stands behind the glass cabinet. Or perhaps much older after all, for the island’s unique magic may have somehow preserved her youth. Our interlocutor is a young woman, no older than 25. Inside, the shelving is narrow and tightly-packed “Are you here to see the boss?“, inquires a pleasant voice from behind the high counter.

There’s clearly to be no sneaking in here unnoticed. From 2016 until today: Tradition is important at Kamaka UkuleleĪ small bell tinkles as the door shuts. There isn’t much on the outside of the building to hint at the wonders lurking within. We park up and open the door to the factory shop, which makes a somewhat non-descript impression. In this small side-street, leading off from the city’s main thoroughfare, no-one is about. That dense early traffic which clogs Honolulu’s arterial roadways is slowly beginning to disperse. The sun outside is blazing, although it’s barely half past eleven in the morning.

Fred once dreamed of a glittering career, of hitting the big time and striking out a path of his own for him and his family.

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