April 11, 2022 I Acquisition
Kanileʻa ʻUkulele Acquires Ukulele Underground Online Platform
Kanileʻa ʻUkulele has acquired Ukulele Underground, the online platform focusing on learning to play ukulele. With this new collaboration, both Hawaii-based companies have created an even greater resource to elevate the experience of every uke player worldwide.
Lead Instructor Aldrine Guerrero, along with UU creators Aaron Nakamura and Kahai Furugen, will retain all control over creative content and production. They will continue scheduled weekly and monthly offerings of play-alongs, lessons and the popular UU Podcast/Aloha Friday Jam, as well as robust, exclusive content for UU+ Members, the online subscribers.
“The mission of Ukulele Underground has always been to help grow the next generation of ukulele players,” said Aaron Nakamura, founding member of Ukulele Underground (UU). “This mission grows even stronger alongside Kanileʻa ʻUkulele, a company that has been dedicated to innovating the entire ukulele experience from incredible ukulele artists and music showcases, to the ukulele building process, even down to conservation and management of the land that provides the resources for making ukulele. In these ways, Ukulele Underground members can now look forward to even more collaborations with Kanileʻa Featured Artists, get premium access to select handmade instruments by Kanileʻa, and eventually even experience ukulele events centered around preservation of the resources that make ukulele building possible. This new connection between Ukulele Underground and Kanileʻa ʻUkulele ensures a bright future for the next generation of players, so keep an eye out for the many exciting UU x KU collaborations on the horizon.”
Kanileʻa’s collaboration with UU began in 2006, before the creation of the online program, when Aldrine Guerrero became an endorsed artist for the brand. Together, he and Kanileʻa master luthier Joe Souza designed a custom tenor instrument conducive to Guerrero’s energetic and percussive play style. This led to the creation of the Kanileʻa Aldrine model, the first in a line of ProSeries instruments.
In 2015, Kanileʻa and UU revealed a new program offering every new Kanileʻa ukulele owner a 30-day unlimited access pass to UU+ Membership. This successful program helped uke owners of any age and ability take their skills to the next level as players and performers with private lessons through Zoom and support via the UU Forum. This program continues to today.
