The Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary during the weekend of Sept. 18 to 20 at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Dr. in neighboring Torrance.
Musician Mitch Chang — a University of Hawaii music major, who moved to Southern California in 2000 and studied jazz ukulele with legendary player Bill Tapia — founded the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival so fans of all ages could “discover the joy of making music together,” according to the festival’s website, Ukulele.LA.
The festival invites ukulele lovers or newcomers to attend live performances, hands-on workshops, jam sessions and connect. Its mission is to grow and nurture the ukulele community by making music accessible, joyful and inclusive.
Chang told the Long Beach Post that the festival is family-friendly and there’s something for everyone, even if you just go for the food, which includes Hawaiian, Malaysian and Japanese treats.
But most people come for the music, he said, as the festival showcases the “diversity and accessibility” of the ukulele, which he says has grown beyond its Hawaiian roots, with musicians internationally doing “very sophisticated things with the instrument.”
The ukulele, which roughly translates to “jumping flea,” is a small, four-stringed guitar-type instrument developed by Portuguese immigrants to Hawaii in the 1880s. It became integral to Hawaiian music and culture after being championed by the last king of Hawaii, David Kalākaua, who died in 1891.
Among the international performers at the festival is Zoë Bestel from Scotland, whom Chang says he met at a Berlin festival and whose music he describes as “ethereal and very thoughtful.”
The two are scheduled to appear with other ukulele artists on KXLU 88.9’s “Wildwood Flower Radio Hour” on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m., ahead of the festival.
Chang also highlighted the youthful Langley Ukulele Ensemble from Canada performing at the festival on Sunday, who play a wide range of musical styles, including classical, jazz, swing, global folk traditions and contemporary favorites.
The ensemble musicians are not only wonderful ukulele performers, Chang said, but know more about music than he ever did growing up.
“You’ll be shocked at how good they are,” he said. “These are not just kids playing and strumming a few songs. It’s really sophisticated.”
The festival will also feature music from Hawaii with its rhythms and “authentic harmonies,” according to Chang, and songs in the Hawaiian language.
Saturday’s performers include Abe Lagrimas Jr., Cali Rose and the CC Strummers, Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel, Conrad Cayman, Ian O’Sullivan — the first Hawaiian guitarist accepted to the Yale School of Music — Karlie Goya, Sho Humphries and Ukulele Bartt Warburton.
Chang called each of these musicians a “headliner,” and to experience them all on one stage is a unique experience.
Creating community is one of Chang’s main goals with the festival, he said, hoping the workshops not only foster music but allow people to connect later where they live.
Social media has helped make ukulele music accessible, Chang said, but he wants to bring younger people “used to hiding behind screens” to live events. A social-media influencer who attended the festival in 2019 — before the pandemic shut it down for a couple of years — drew followers, but it was the in-person community that truly “shocked” them, Chang said.
“It’s very different,” he said. “If you record a video on your channel, someone might say, ‘Oh, it sounds so good.’ But the difference between just putting out something that’s been edited as opposed to playing along with people — live, in person — is a whole different energy, and then people feel a whole different kind of a connection.”
The festival’s opening night on Friday, Sept. 18 features a solo concert by acclaimed Taiwanese ukulele sensation Feng E., beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40, including fees.
The main day of the festival is Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring the all-star lineup of performers for $29, or an all-access pass for $59 that includes ukulele workshops for all skill levels. Children 17 and younger attend free with a paid adult.
Saturday also features a Ukulele Marketplace that is free and open to the public, with sellers — including Signal Hill’s Ohana Music — offering instruments, accessories, an open mic, food and Hawaiian “shave ice,” plus free introductory ukulele classes for total beginners.
The festival wraps up Sunday, Sept. 20, with a brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $69, including food, small-group workshops and jam sessions led by festival artists.
Then at 2 p.m., the Langley Ukulele Ensemble brings the weekend to a “spectacular” close, according to the festival, with tickets from $25 to $35.
“I really want people to come out and rediscover the ukulele, rediscover music,” Chang said. “And all the things that go along with it.
For tickets and information, visit Ukelele.LA and its FAQ page. Parking at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center is free throughout the weekend.