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Marianas Ukulele Festival on Oct. 19
This year’s 5th annual Marianas Ukulele Festival will feature professional ukulele master Blues Lee from Korea. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Calling all ukulele music lovers and uke jammers! The 5th Annual Marianas Ukulele Festival, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, at the Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe from 2pm to 9pm promises to be an even bigger and better event this year.
The festival features continuous live entertainment, ukulele demonstrations, arts and crafts booths, food booths, and a raffle. As always, the Ukulele Festival is free and open to the public.
This year’s program will feature professional ukulele master Blues Lee from Korea, along with his wife, Vivian Kim, and the Korean Women’s Ensemble. Local performers confirmed so far include Marvin and Jay, Ed Johnson, and Alana’ia, Da Kine, Jose Carreon and Juan Ichihara, Saipan Community School, Domatsuri Warriors, and the Ukituki Band.
The Marianas Ukulele Festival Association is also partnering with various community-based ukulele instructional programs, such as the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs/Arts Council, Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, and the Carolinian Affairs Office to provide greater access to formal ukulele instruction. Thirty scholarships for free ukulele lessons will be given away. Another goal is to get more ukuleles out into the community, so several ukuleles will be raffled off, along with other great prizes.
Festival partners/supporters, so far, include the Marianas Visitors Authority, DCCA/Arts Council, Island Training Solutions, IT&E, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Triple J Saipan, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Robert T. Torres Law Office, Marianas Variety, Island Image & Motion, Marianas Business Plaza, Hertz Rent a Car, Hyatt Regency Saipan, R& M Printers, KKMP radio, and PDI.
All ukulele players/groups interested in performing at the festival should contact Larry Lee at larrylee33@gmail.com or telephone 285-7127, or Gordon Marciano at gordon@pdisaipan.com or telephone 287-1195 by Oct. 12, 2019. Anyone interested in supporting the festival through cash or in-kind contributions should contact the same.
For more information, visit www.marianasukulelefestival.org. (PR)
