An adaptation of a stringed instrument that traveled with Portuguese immigrants who came to work in Hawaii’s sugarcane fields, the ukulele is now synonymous with Hawaiian music and culture. Shimabukuro comes from that same process of mixing both island and outside influences; he’s combined the qualities of a long line of virtuoso ukulele players with modern rock to create a sound that’s uniquely his own but still firmly grounded in Hawaiian tradition. In addition to traditional ukulele material, his singular approach combines elements of jazz, blues, funk, rock, bluegrass, classical, swing, and flamenco.