Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro will weave his magic at the Rialto tonight

If you can get nearly 10 million YouTube hits by playing a George Harrison song, then you must be good. If you can get them by playing it on a ukulele, you must be Jake Shimabukuro.

The 35-year-old Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso has ridden the wave of his astonishing success on this tiny instrument from Oahu coffee-shop musician to star of the concert stage, Internet and recording studio – and tonight he’s playing in Tacoma’s Rialto Theater to an already sold-out crowd.

Whether you know of Shimabukuro from his poetic YouTube-hit rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” or from his delicately rocking version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” featured in Rolling Stone magazine, or just because you love the instrument, you’ll agree on one thing: This unassuming musician transforms the pint-sized, high-pitched instrument into an unforgettable rock performance.

Yet the man who’s been called the Jimi Hendrix of the ukelele, whose fingers move like lightning on those two octaves of frets, is actually far more like a Buddhist monk in conversation: modest, peaceful, thoughtful. On the phone during his current tour, Shimakuburo talks about why he loves music – and his ukulele – so much:

This is your first show in Tacoma. What will you be playing?

It’s a combination of new songs and ones from my recent album, “Peace Love Ukulele.” I’ll be playing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” because that was the one that started my touring career. And “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” because they’re both so fun to play. I also do a cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” and some of my own songs.

You’ve been playing ukulele since you were 4, and playing like a rock star since you first saw a Van Halen video as a teenager. Has your playing changed over the years?

Definitely my passion for the instrument and my excitement hasn’t changed. I still love it as much as I did when I was a little boy. I’ve changed my interpretation of tunes, maybe, the emotional depth. Being a little more in touch with my feelings and because of different experiences I’ve had over the years, all that contributes to how I express a song. To me that’s very important, because music is the language of emotion.

How many ukuleles do you play?

I have five, but I just stick to one for practice, recording and touring. It’s a four-string tenor ukulele made by the Kamaka brothers, a local family in Hawaii who have been making ukuleles for 96 years now. My very first ukulele was a Kamaka, it was my mother’s. They’re fantastic, so expressive. Sometimes when you close your eyes and listen, some ukuleles sound like a guitar, but they should sound a bit tinny, a bit quirky – that’s the nature of the instrument.

Have you ever felt musically limited by that instrument – just four strings, two octaves?

I’ve never ever felt that I wanted to leave the ukulele, and I can’t play any other instrument! I love the fact that it’s tiny and has a small range, because that’s what makes it so appealing, so easy to play. When you sit down at a piano, you think, ‘wow, how do I play all these notes?’ and even the guitar has six strings and so many frets. But you don’t have to be a musician ... you don’t need expensive lessons ... to play the ukulele. That’s its beauty, it’s everyone’s instrument. Because you really get the true benefits of music if you create it yourself. It’s an entire yoga session in one strum. That’s what we all need. ...

You’ve said that the ukulele is the instrument of peace. Why?

You can’t possibly strum a ukulele and be angry. The first thing people do when they pick it up is strike a silly pose, then they play a silly chord. ... It just winds you down, brings you joy.

Is there any song you just couldn’t play on it?

“Bohemian Rhapsody” was so much of a challenge. It has all these layers of vocals, instrumentation. ... For a while in interviews, they would always ask me what songs I could play, and they’d stump me with “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I would make some comment, but after that I thought I’d better put my money where my mouth is and learn it. There are so many beautiful lines – seven, eight, nine, all at once – and I have to leave some out. And to capture every part – the mysterious introduction, then the ballad with piano and voice, then the playful operatic section, then the big rock part – mentally it’s difficult, but I love the challenge. I look forward to playing it every night. You can feel the audience wanting to sing along. That’s how music should be: an exchange of ideas between the artist and the audience, a reciprocation of feeling and expression.

Of course you can play anything and make it recognizable, but to make people believe they’re hearing the real song and not notice any missing elements, that’s really a challenge. If I can’t capture the essence of a song, I don’t want to play it.

How much do you practice?

I play every day, but I don’t think of it as practice. It’s part of my daily routine, like you eat, you drink water, you play the ukulele.

Tell me something about Jake Shimabukuro that fans wouldn’t know?

I love fishing, I used to do it a lot as a kid and I’m getting back into it. I love the water – you have to, growing up in Hawaii – I love snorkeling, diving. Spending time immersed in nature clears the mind. When I pick up the ukulele again, I feel fresh.

Rosemary Ponnekanti: 253-597-8568, rosemary.ponnekanti@ thenewstribune.com, blog.thenewstribune.com/arts