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Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

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The Conversation: Travels with my ukulele

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Travels with my ukulele

02/08/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Travels with my ukulele

For Taimane and Zee Avi, playing the ukulele was love at first strum

Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Taimane and Malaysian singer and songwriter Zee Avi talk about the joy that this humble four-string instrument can bring.

Despite its long and rich history, the ukulele has often been snubbed or dismissed as a novelty instrument by the music world. But over the years, rock stars have embraced the guitar’s smaller cousin, from Elvis Presley to the Beatles to Taylor Swift. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who turned their love for the ukulele into a successful musical career.

When Taimane was gifted a ukulele at 5 years old, it was the start of a musical journey that would take her from busking on the streets to appearing on the world’s biggest stages. She is now considered one of the world’s leading ukulele players and is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Zee Avi is a singer-songwriter, ukulele player and guitarist from Malaysia. Zee taught herself to play music when she was a teenager and she got her first record deal at 22, thanks to a video that she posted on the internet back in 2007. Her songs have appeared in numerous TV shows and films.

Produced by Alice Gioia and mixed by Donald MacDonald.

IMAGE DETAILS: 

(L) Taimane, credit NPR/Laura Beltrán Villamizar
(R) Zee Avi, credit XENO Entertainment

MUSIC DETAILS: 

Taimane: AIR; Water; Beethoven, System of a Down, Led & ACDC Medley, Deh vieni alla finestra (Don Giovanni, Mozart) performed by Taimane and Quinn Kelsey at the Hawaii Opera Theatre.
Zee Avi: Bitter Heart; I am me once more.

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