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SINGAPORE: Think ukulele and images of a garlanded Elvis Presley gyrating with the tiny guitar-looking instrument may come to mind.
But the stringed instrument is more than one to be relegated to the realms of simple tunes.
In Singapore to get people to sing a different tune to the ukulele is James Hill, who is regarded as one the world's top composer and ukulele players.
Lesson one on the instrument - getting its name right.
It is pronounced "uku-lele" in the Hawaiian way.
According to Hill, it is made up of two words, 'uku' and 'lele' which translate into "The Jumping Flea".
With such a fun name, it can only mean that this is one friendly instrument.
If you've always wanted to play a musical instrument and either didn't have the time or think you're not too musically inclined - the ukulele is an instrument for you.
"Within five minutes (of learning the ukulele), you can be playing a song and for a lot of people" says Hill.
Having played the ukulele for more than just five minutes, Hill took his love for music and the intrument and teamed it with his other love, cellist Anne Davidson, for a remarkable blend.
Hill and Davidson met at music school and after dating, slowly warmed up to the idea of playing together.
"For three years, we never even considered playing together because it would seem so odd" said Hill.
"But slowly, we got on to the idea with the duo thing and realized what a good combination it is."
The combination of casual ukulele and classic cello may seem like chalk and cheese but these two seemingly incompatible instruments complement beautifully.
"When people come to our concert, they do not know what to expect, or worse, they don't expect," said Hill.
Playing on this doubtfulness is what allows both Hill and Davidson to surprise their audience and change conventional thinking.
"The ukulele has a higher range where the cello has a lower range" said Davidson.
"I also have the capability of using the bow to create long sustained sound which compliments the plucking sound of the ukulele."
Unlike the cello which has a long history, the ukulele is a 'young' 120-year-old in the music world, which explains its unorthodox style, which allows its player to invent his own particular style.
This freedom opened the way for Hill to create his style which he calls 'mono-strumming'.
"Instead of strumming where you can hear all the strings, you only hear a note as you mute the rest of the sound" he explains.
Sounds intriguing? Have a listen to the couple on their only stop in South East Asia, with their "melting of genres" performance on Friday 29 May, 8pm at the DBS Auditorium. - CNA/fa
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