Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, 13-year-old Kris Fuchigami began his musical journey with an old beat-up ukulele in his hands and a strong desire to master that tiny little instrument.
2 years later, Kris Fuchigami won the grand prize at the Hamakua Music Scholarship Competition on the Big Island where he competed against classical pianists, singers, drummers, and many other genres of musicians. Kris went on to headline, and perform at many ukulele festivals and has gained worldwide recognition.
In 2016 he was nominated for the prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Award in Hawaii for the Instrumental Composition of the Year category with his original composition of Moemoea, which he was inspired to write during a performing tour in Tahiti.
In 2018, he was again nominated for the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards for the Ukulele Album of the Year Category with his album entitled “More Than This.”
In both 2019 & 2021, Kris was awarded the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for “Instrumental Composition of the Year!”
Kris Fuchigami, how did you get started with music, and what lead you to the ukulele?
When I was 13 years old, during the summer, I was extremely bored, so I started digging through my closet and I found an old beat-up ukulele. I remembered my middle school teacher talking about a guy named Jake Shimabukuro, so I looked him up, I asked my dad if he could buy me his album and I was just blown away because I never heard the ukulele sound like that! I wanted to play just like him, and so my musical journey began.
Who are your role models in the Ukulele world?
I have so much love and respect for all the ukulele artists as all have such unique playing styles that I love to see.
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Where do you get your creative inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from listening to all different genres of music. People like Carlos Santana, Tommy Emmanuel, and Tupac Shakur, just to name a few. All these different artists helped shape me into the musician that I am today.
What 3 tips can you give to people that are starting to learn and improve on the ukulele?
My advice would be to:
- Practice really hard, even on days that you don’t feel like practicing. Any amount of practice will have a positive outcome.
- Have a lot of patience. It takes time to improve.
- Take it easy on yourself. A lot of times, there are going to be challenging things that you come across and you may feel that you should have gotten it down by now. But by taking it easy on yourself and knowing that progress will come, you allow the stress to go away and are able to practice more efficiently with a clear mind.
What lessons have you learned from being a performer/influencer/musician?
Before I started playing music and performing, I was extremely shy. I even took a failing grade in high school because I could not bring myself to get in front of the class to present my project. Performing really helped me to burst out of that shell of fear and become the artist that I am today.
ABOUT THE UKE-CON FESTIVAL 2022:
What are you excited about for the UKE-CON Summer Ukulele Festival?
I am excited to see everyone come together and enjoy each other’s company while playing this instrument that we all love so much.
What are you most looking forward to at UKE-CON?
I am looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces as well as new faces. It’s going to be a great time!
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Tickets are almost sold out! Do you have any words to the attendees (both in person and virtual)?
It’s going to be a great show! So many great artists!
UKE-CON is a great opportunity for people to connect with their ukulele teachers/artists/mentors. What do you like the most about being part of this one-of-a-kind ukulele community?
I love that the ukulele community is filled with love. It is a place filled with so much positivity.
ABOUT YOU:
What are you currently working on (professionally and personally) that you are excited about?
I am currently touring and have a lot more tours coming up this year. We are also working on my new album, so we are excited to share that with you all soon!
Read more: Is the Ukulele from Hawaii? Find out NOW!
Kris Fuchigami, what is your favorite quote or words of wisdom can you share with us?
One of my favorite quotes would have to be: “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
How can people learn more about you and reach out to you? Do you have a website/store/channel where people can find your content?
You can visit my website at krisfuchigami.com.
I am also on Facebook/Instagram/Tiktok/Twitter/YouTube under Kris Fuchigami.
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Awesome!!! We’re really excited to see you at the UKE-CON Festival 2022 in San Diego, California, on August 27th.
Preparing the engines in 3……… 2……… 1……!
