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Ukuleles Research Paper

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Ukuleles, Hawaiian for “jumping flea”, were first built in Hawaii by three Madeiran immigrants: Augusto Dias, Manuel Nunes, and Jose do Espirito Santo in 1879. The ukuleles are in the guitar family, and are a combination of two Portuguese instruments, the machetes and rajãoes, that the trio were building. The number of strings on the instrument is taken from the machete while the tuning comes from the first four strings of the rajãoes. Ukuleles became popular in Hawaii after gaining the favor of Hawaiian royalty and later it would be common to see these accompany hula dances. In the early 1900s, ukuleles gained popularity in the rest of the states through a number of key performances and plays such as Bird of Paradise that introduced them to

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