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【IZ的傳記作者Rick Carroll回憶起一件插曲】
有個晚上當The Mākaha Sons在一個夜店表演時，台下一個遊客要求他們演奏英語歌曲“The Hawaiian Wedding Song”，結果IZ竟悍然拒絕，堅持改唱夏威夷語的婚禮歌曲“Lei Aloha Lei Makamae”。在單飛後，他也陸續唱了"Living in a Sovereign Land"、"E ala Ē"這些關懷原民主權的歌曲。烏克麗麗在他手中，成為捍衛自己身份認同與土地的武器…
[國際政治錄音室] Ukulele的國際關係
近年在全球化浪潮下，不少原來局限在小範圍流傳的地方樂器，紛紛成為樂迷新寵，其中發展得最快的，不得不提類似小結他的Ukulele。這裏「不得不提」，因為我們從中也可學習不少國際關係知識。
Ukulele今天被視為夏威夷「本土」象徵，但其實它的前身是一種名為machete的歐洲樂器，十九世紀才由葡萄牙人帶到夏威夷。後來夏威夷人把本土音樂元素加入演奏，逐漸演化成ukulele，這和當時夏威夷王國希望依靠歐洲來制衡美國影響力的外交政策，可謂一脈相承。
歷史上，夏威夷經歷過兩次「文藝復興」（Hawaiian Renaissance）。第一次在十九世紀的王國時代，卡拉卡瓦國王（David Kalākaua）倡導在美英文化影響力下復興本土傳統文化，建構當代國家認同，深具民族主義情懷。例如他恢復了當時被西方教會以「傷風敗德」之名禁制近半個世紀的草裙舞（Hula），以歌頌開國君主卡美哈梅哈一世（King Kamehameha I）的《Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī》作為國歌，取代歌頌上帝的《He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi》。一時間，夏威夷王室為提倡「本土主義」，成員都學習ukulele，更用ukulele來演奏國歌。
夏威夷亡國後，末代女王利留卡拉尼（Queen Liliuokalani）曾努力復國，美國左翼也有不少人同情夏威夷，ukulele以這背景在美國大盛。1915年，ukulele經在三藩市舉行的首屆「巴拿馬太平洋國際博覽會」傳入美國本土，引起熱潮，美國生產商開始仿傚夏威夷樂師，製造自己的ukulele。到了四、五十年代，ukulele一度成為美國的主流樂器之一，通常在爵士樂演奏使用。不過，ukulele與其象徵的夏威夷文化一樣，在短暫熱潮過後一度沒落，淪為掛牆裝飾和家居擺設。其得以復興，和夏威夷第二次「文藝復興」運動息息相關。
時為七十年代，代表人物不少來自檀香山的Guitar and Lute Workshop（GLW）。GLW是當地幾位樂手開設的樂器工場，成員包括樂手Beamer兄弟（Keola Beamer和Kapono Beamer）、弦樂器工匠兼音樂教授George Gilmore等，除了製作和維修各種樂器，像夏威夷滑音結他（Slack-Key Guitar）、雙孔結他（Twin-hole Guitar）、ukulele，還發行音樂雜誌《Guitar and Lute magazine》。他們工餘在附近的Territorial Tavern開音樂會，慢慢聚集了一群音樂人，號稱「GLW同好會」，成了推廣夏威夷音樂的橋頭堡。加上幾位當地著名樂手，例如樂隊Sons of Hawaii靈魂人物Gabby Pahinui、夏威夷假聲演唱樂手Dennis Pavao等，令夏威夷傳統文化得到美國本部重新認同，甚至在學術界興起「夏威夷研究」，可謂軟實力重構身份認同的例子。
在這波文藝復興嶄露頭角的，還有夏威夷殿堂級樂手Israel Kamakawiwo’ole。他早年加入Makaha Sons of Niʻihau樂隊，1970年代崛起，在美國本土作巡迴演出，以結合夏威夷傳統和當代音樂取得成功，一共發行了15張專輯。獨立發展後，他在九十年代推出首張個人唱片，在1993年的專輯《Facing Future》，收錄了以ukulele重新演奏的經典歌曲《Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World》，終於大紅大紫，歌曲不斷被用作廣告、電視劇及電影配樂，包括美國經典《仁心仁術》（ER）。Kamakawiwo’ole的音樂不時流露對恢復夏威夷王國、爭取夏威夷獨立的渴望，例如《Hawaiʻi 78》有這樣的歌詞：「Cry for the gods, cry for the people /Cry for the land that was taken away/ And then yet you'll find, Hawai'i」。
Kamakawiwo’ole能在1990年代美國掀起熱潮，除了適逢冷戰後的全球化時代，也是因為夏威夷復國運動得到發展：「發展」並非復國有望，而是美國克林頓政府終於就當年非法顛覆夏威夷王國道歉。同時互聯網的YouTube短片也是Ukulele第二春重要推手：不少美國新一代了解夏威夷亡國史都不是通過教科書，而是通過網絡。
在香港，ukulele起初以潮流玩物的姿態興起，大概因為互聯網上有不少ukulele的演奏和教學短片，近年則出現專門教授ukulele的課程。加上ukulele輕巧，按弦力度不像吉他般要刻苦鍛鍊，和弦也不及吉他複雜，初階入門就較易上手。但這種受歡迎，依然停留在「奇技淫巧」，未算登堂入室。相反在西方，近年有不少音樂評論指ukulele將成主流樂器，會帶領新一輪punk rock（龐克搖滾）革命，因為ukulele始終有「邊陲顛覆主流」的政治含義。
例如美國樂評人、punk音樂專家Ryan Cooper曾撰文探討「uke punk revolution」，指ukulele正快速打入藝術、政治兼容的punk音樂。年前美國爆發佔領運動，Punk cabaret始創人Amanda Palmer就提着ukulele，出現在華爾街、波士頓等「佔領」現場，大唱作品《Ukulele Anthem》，歌詞中「Ukulele small and fierceful, Ukulele brave and peaceful」、「Play your ukulele badly, play your ukulele loudly」等，又真的將這種小巧樂器跟示威、「革命」連結起來，成為龐克的另一種形式。英國亦有Extreme Noise Terror、UK Subs等樂隊提倡「the pUKEs」，以ukulele重玩經典龐克歌曲。
Ryan Cooper更指，ukulele輕巧、便於擕帶和收藏，切合了新型革命的「快閃」需求。例如在奉行伊斯蘭教法（Sharia law）的印尼亞齊省，龐克搖滾本被定為非法，2011年12月就有約60名年輕樂迷在一場龐克音樂會上被捕，判入勞教中心。直到近年出現樂隊Chaotic Pavement，由五名主音配合一支ukulele，「看起來像Woodie Guthrie，但歌曲歌詞則有Crust punk樂隊Nausea、Doom的憤世、無政府主義訊息」，又成功繞過打壓而興起。夏威夷有這國粹流傳至今，即使國家早亡，也足以在人類文明史上留下自己的烙印了。
麥日凰 星期日生活 Sunday Mingpao 2015年6日
延伸閱讀：從牙買加的Bob Marley談起
https://www.facebook.com/…/a.9636111103397…/806153262752159/
EDEN KAI [イーデン・カイ] a.k.a. Yusuke Aizawa (鮎澤悠介), performs his original 'ukulele composition with a cool 'ocean-vibe' called "Late Night Shanty."
The 2016 39th Annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards Instrumental Album of the Year nominee EDEN KAI's "TOUCH THE SKY" performed live on February 25, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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About EDEN KAI:
With millions of fans around the world, Eden Kai has earned his reputation as being a ukulele and guitar virtuoso, a Pop/R&B vocalist, and an accomplished actor. While many were first introduced to Eden when he joined the cast of Netflix and Fuji Television’s Terrace House: Aloha State, the young star’s success had already been years in the making. He has since gone on to make additional appearances on Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020, appeared on Shiro to Kiiro on Amazon Prime and has performed at the Fuji Rock Festival (the largest outdoor music festival in Japan), Nisei Week Festival in Little Tokyo, OC Japan Fair and ANA Honolulu Music Week in Waikiki. Eden’s accomplishments have earned him interviews by NBC News and The Yomiuri Shinbun (the world’s most circulated newspaper).
His most recent album, Home Sweet Home, released in 2018 and was recorded in Tokyo, Japan, produced by his music label in Japan Victor Entertainment. Three tracks from that album were featured in episodes of Netflix Japan’s Terrace House during the show’s Opening New Doors and Tokyo 2019-2020 seasons. The series also featured Eden’s instrumental compositions of “Touch the Sky” and “Feel the Earth.” “Monogatari” was his debut pop vocal single, which he wrote and performed on the show. That music, as well as Eden’s past album releases, can be heard on all major streaming services and is available for purchase on Eden’s official website, www.EdenKai.com.
In addition to working on his own music, Eden has collaborated with some of the world’s top artists and producers, including EXILE and Dream. One of his compositions was used to create “Anuenue,” a hit J-Pop single recorded and released by Dance Earth Party, which landed at #11 on the Oricon Music Charts in Japan.
Eden also recognizes the importance of using his music to help others. He has hosted several ukulele workshops in Honolulu and Japan, been the featured performer at the Waikiki Spam Jam, benefiting the largest non-profit in Hawaii that feeds the needy, and the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival from which proceeds helped local children in the community. Eden has donated proceeds from some of his songs to assist humanitarian causes, including the support of a health center in Haiti and the purchase of educational materials for children in Bangladesh.
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"Keep Doing What You Love!" ~ Eden Kai
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