The ukulele takes centre stage at this weekend’s Marigold Theatre's Ukulele Festival in Truro.
Chalmers Doane has been playing ukulele for nearly 75 years. In that time, he's taught thousands of people how to play.
“I promoted ukulele in Nova Scotia and then I started promoting it right across Canada, so we had players in every province of Canada,” says Doane.
Doane was the first person to be inducted into the Nova Scotia Ukulele Hall of Fame. This weekend, the hall will move to Truro as part of the Marigold Theatre Ukulele Festival – a day-long event that includes a number of ukulele workshops.
“Each workshop leader is offering workshops on various techniques with regards to ukulele playing, and then the day will be over around 4:30 and everybody has included in their registration, a ticket for the concert on Saturday night,” says Angela Dwyer, festival organizer.
James Hill and Chalmers Doane are recognized as two of the best ukulele players in the world. Hill has been playing for more than a quarter century and the ukulele has taken him to dozens of countries.
“There's almost no mean ukulele people that I've ever met in my, almost, no people that I wouldn't want to hang out with and have a meal with, and the ukulele seems to be a lightning rod for good folks all over the world,” says Hill.
The two masters say the instrument does have some limitations.
“I often say to people that the ukulele is a very easy instrument to play and very difficult to play well,” says Hill.
"At a beach party, a ukulele is fabulous. A piano really sucks out on a beach," jokes Doane.
The latest Nova Scotia Ukulele Hall of Fame inductee will be announced during Saturday night’s concert.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh
