Virtuoso, songwriter, singer and theater producer, Taimane, has established herself as one of the leading ukulele players in the world, known for her fierce and inventive style of play transcending traditional views of the instrument as a restricted device. Taimane’s musicality and approach to the stage further add to her draw. Through both beautiful originals and one-of-a-kind mashups – seemingly disparate songs (e.g. Led Zeppelin and Beethoven) merged into medleys with pop appeal – Taimane conjures a wide-range of deep emotions smashing the notion of Hawaii music’s being light and simple. Seeing her perform live exponentially amplifies these feelings and makes clear that Taimane is an entertainer first and foremost.
Hailing from a musical Polynesian family including her late mother, Palepa Tauiliili Gardner (Miss Samoa 1978), Taimane’s attraction to the four-string island staple began at age 5. By age 10, she regularly performed in public, busking in Waikiki every Friday night. By age 13, Taimane landed a position in Don Ho’s show. Each night, when the typically full house turned its attention to the petite young girl suddenly anointed band leader for a rendition of the surf classic “Wipeout,” it was time to rock.
Following her early years in Waikiki, Taimane walked away from its pop scene and leapt into a completely different world, the art houses of Honolulu’s Chinatown. There, she discovered audiences who valued original songs and began to develop her own style of music, eventually merging a wide-array of genres, from Bach to rock, flamenco infernos to tribal hymns, into mesmerizing shows with universal appeal. Fast forward to today, and you have an artist who tours the world shining bright like a diamond (the Samoan translation of her name) renowned for taking the ukulele to new heights while blazing her own trail in the process.
“Taimane rocks the stage with a sensual vibrancy and a white hot talent that captivates and beguiles!” – Pierce Brosnan (aka 007)
“So much magic unfolded in such short order. Within the first moments of Taimane’s stunning set, we hear her play fiery flamenco, a famous phrase from the opera Carmen, a touch of Bach and more than a nod to her Hawaiian homeland, all on her ukulele.” – Bob Boilen, Host of NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ Series
