Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jake’s life has always centered on the ukulele. He started playing at the age of four, urged by his mother who also played. Known for his powerful strumming on the ukulele, Jake’s performances incorporate elements of thoughtful, sophisticated arrangements to spontaneous, improvised passages. Being influenced by legendary ukulele players like Eddie Kamae, Ohta-San and Peter Moon, Jake also credits icons like Bruce Lee and Michael Jordan as a source of inspiration. Jake began his music career in the mid-90’s, performing at local coffee shops with his first band, Pure Heart. But Jake’s solo career began in earnest in 2002 when he became the first ukulele player to sign with Sony Music Japan. While his well-received solo releases positionedJake as an established musician in Hawaii and Japan, his career skyrocketed when his cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral on YouTube with more than 13 million views, opening the rest of the world’s eyes to Jake and his unique playing style. He has often topped Billboard’s World Music Charts, been declared a musical “hero” by Rolling Stone Magazine, He has continually wowed audiences on national TV with appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Today Show.” He’s played at Bonnaroo, SXSW, the Playboy Jazz Festival, Fuji Rock Festival, the influential TED conference and along the way has earned comparisons to musical innovators such as Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. Jake also travels to schools around the world and spreads positive messages to young people, encouraging them to find their passion and live drug-free. Although he is constantly touring, playing 140 shows a year, Jake and his family continue to make Hawaii their home.