When Jake Shimabukuro brought his ukulele out onstage for his TED talk, the audience knew this wasn’t going to be just any talk. Jake described the ukulele as “an instrument of peace,” expressing that if everyone played it, “the world would be a much happier place.” He decided to prove that by playing a cover of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ As soon as he announced the song, the audience burst out laughing. How could anyone play a cover of the complex rock classic on the ukulele?
Then, Jake began to play, and no one was laughing anymore. Instead, they listened in amazement as he began to play the song perfectly, capturing the vocal and guitar parts all with his fingerstyle technique. At the end of his performance, the audience leapt to their feet to give him a standing ovation. The video of his performance amazed online viewers too, pulling in over 13M views, and prompting one viewer to comment, “I didn’t believe it was possible to nail that song on ukulele.”
Not only was I amazed that anyone could play this song on the ukulele, but I was truly blown away by Jake’s musicianship as he captured all the song’s different dynamics. The way Jake softly played the beginning section really conveyed the ukulele as an “instrument of peace.” Despite this, he still leaned into the energy that builds later on in the song. I never thought I’d want to headbang to the ukulele, but I must admit that this time, I was tempted.
Born in Hawaii, where the ukulele was popularized, Jake has spent his life sharing the beauty of this instrument with others. Any Music Man fans who want to see more of his playing will want to check out his version of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’ In the studio with Real Music TV, Jake once again played all the parts of the song, including the vocal melody and lead guitar, until it sounded like there were multiple people playing. Instead, it was simply Jake and his astonishing talent.
Jake Shimabukuro’s playing not only demonstrated what a wonderful and versatile instrument the ukulele is, but also served as a reminder to push boundaries and that doing the unexpected can lead to wonderful results. To play ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ on the ukulele is a feat that many may not even attempt to accomplish, but Jake’s creativity allowed him to imagine it was possible. His ambition and skill have resulted in some truly imaginative and inspiring pieces that allow all of us at The Music Man to hear songs in a new way and appreciate the ukulele in a whole new light.