Madeiran musicians celebrate Hawaii connections with origins of ukulele

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Madeiran artists Roberto Moniz and Roberto Moritz are professors and musicians at The Conservatory in Madeira, islands off the northwest coast of Africa and part of Portugal.

They were in Hawaii to take part in several educational and cultural events, including today’s “A Day in Portugal Festa” at the Hawaiian Plantation Village.

The annual celebration of Portuguese culture featured food, activities and performances, including some by Moniz and Moritz, who play traditional Madeiran instruments, the machete, a small stringed instrument, and rajao, a guitar-like instrument with five strings.

Used in folklore dances of Portugal, the machete and rajao inspired the creation of the ukulele. The instrument was brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants and became a staple of Hawaiian music under the Hawaiian monarchy.

The two musicians and Shawn Yacavone, co-chair of the state’s Hawaiian Music Archives and caretaker of the world’s most significant collection of Hawaiian Kingdom-era ukulele, joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about the relationship between Hawaii and Portugal and the origins of the ukulele.

Moniz and Moritz said they’re learning Hawaiian music on their instruments to bring back to Madeira and are planning more collaborations with Hawaii.

For more information, visit portugueseculturehistoricalcenter.org or follow their Facebook Portuguese Culture & Historical Center.

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