by Nomad
Whenever I think of the ukulele, I see visions of Hawaiian dancers in grass skirts and hibiscus flowers in their hair. If I think a bit harder, there's image of a 1920s Princeton student with a pennant and a straw hat, wearing a raccoon coat.
After that, I draw blanks.
Musician Samantha Muir has opened my mind to the possibilities of the ukulele. Born in England, Samantha moved to Australia with her family at the age of seven. Muir has studied at prestigious schools such as Sydney Conservatorium, the Victorian College of the Arts and the Royal College of Music in London. She has given solo recitals in England, Wales, Australia, and Spain.(You can find her complete biography here.)
Here she is performing the song, The Fields of Athenry, an Irish folk ballad about the Great Irish Famine of 1845-50. It tells the tale of a man sent to Botany Bay in Australia after stealing some corn in order to feed his hungry children.
Next, Muir plays the Prelude from the 1st Cello Suite by JS Bach in her garden.
Lest you think, Muir only does classical arrangements, listen to this rendition of the 1969 hit, "Both Sides Now."
To make your Sunday a tiny bit better, I found this April 2016 album entitled For Love . . . and a small bag of diamonds
And if you enjoyed that, try this. It's her aptly-named album,
The Beauty of Uke.
As always with any of the digital albums I feature here from Bandcamp, it is possible to download at a reasonable price. According to Bandcamp, music fans have paid artists $284 million USD using Bandcamp, and $7.2 million in the last 30 days alone.
So it sounds like a great business model. and a wonderful opportunity to support fine artists who may not get the attention and appreciation they deserve.
Now, I hope you will take this opportunity to relax and recharge your batteries. Who knows what the following week will bring? Have a great Sunday.
