Glen Hirabayashi Isaac Ho'opi'i Irv Queja Steven Espaniola William Ernestburg Curt Sheller UkuleleGent Debi Velasco Amber Rozel Mystery Artist ????
Artists & Performers are also presenting workshops at the festival.

The Aloha Boys
Born and raised in Hawai'i and transplanted to the Washington D.C. area to pursue careers, The Aloha Boys, Glen Hirabayashi, Isaac Ho'opi'i and Irv Queja - met in 1996 while playing music for their children at Halau O 'Aulani, a school of Hawai'ian culture, in the Washington, D.C. area. A special and exciting bond grew musically among the Aloha Boys, who love to kanikapila or play an acoustic down-home, backyard-style Hawai'ian music, a style which includes everything from the very traditional to contemporary songs and styles. They all sing lead and backing vocals. Their voices blend in a nahenahe (soft pleasant) style. They have performed at numerous functions from backyard parties to concerts and at many venues including Carnegie Hall and on the National Mall at the openings of the World War II Memorial and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, the Barns at Wolf Trap, and in Rheims, France, Toronto, Canada, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charlotte, Southern California and Hawai'i. In Hawai'i, their performances include Pakele Live, the Gabby Festival, Slack Key Guitar Festival O'ahu Style, and Slack Key Guitar Festival, Virginia Style. The music of the Aloha Boys brings them and their audience back to a lifestyle that is unique and precious to Hawai'i.

Steven Espaniola
Steven Espaniola It’s rare when an artist arrives on the scene offering a refreshing new spin on a traditional genre of music. Steven Espaniola is that artist. Raised in Aliamanu, Hawai’i and now residing in the California Bay Area, Steven is a self taught multi-instrumentalist Hawaiian artist specializing in Ki Ho'alu (Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar), ‘Ukulele, Upright Bass, and Leo Ki'e Ki'e (Traditional Hawaiian falsetto). Of Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent, his ethnicity is as diverse as his unique sound which preserves the integrity of the traditional with a flourish of the modern.
His debut recording entitled Ho’omaka, “to begin”, features a mesmerizing collection of traditional and original Hawaiian mele recorded by Na Hoku Hanohano and GRAMMY® Award winning producer Dave Tucciarone. Ho’omaka will be sure to transport the listener to the Hawaii of yesterday with soaring falsetto vocals, nahenahe slack key guitar and rhythmic ‘ukulele. Steven Espaniola’s highly anticipated and critically acclaimed debut album will carry you on a musical journey you won’t soon forget. In 2007, Steven's musical efforts earned him the recognition of "New Artist of the Year" at the Hawaii Music Awards.

photo by
Eric Max
Curt Sheller
With Curt's re-introduction to the ukulele after a 20 year break and taking advantage of his thirty plus years jazz guitar training and skills, he began pursuing the potential of the ukulele exploring instrumental music using the vast repertoire available from the traditional contemporary jazz repertoire and with a few originals thrown in for fun. Curt has developed an international reputation as a ukulele expert having written over 50 books for ukulele, Guitar, Bass, and Music and over 800+ lessons for the ukulele available on his LearningUkulele.com site.
As an author and private music teacher Curt created Curt Sheller Publications in 1995 and has been on the web since. Curt has over 50 years of playing experience and has been involved in private music education for the past 30 plus years. Curt is also on of the owners along with his wife Bernadette and daughter Kelly of Funky Frets Music Store and the annual Funky Frets Uke Fest.

Ukulele Gent
Ukulele Gent hosts a free, weekly online play-along, with scrolling chords and lyrics, instruction, and often an amazing guest from the ukulele world. Every Wednesday at 7PM Eastern.

Mystery Artist
Mystery Artist ???? — Who would you really like to see at the Funky Frets Uke Fest?
Links: ????

William Ernestburg
From Laie, Oahu. Graduate of Kahuku High School; 30 years service in the U.S. Coast Guard (retired 2016), where he served in NJ, FL, NC, and DC; Member of the Hawaii State Society and the ‘Ukulele Hui’; Volunteer at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington D.C.
William is a member of the Hawaii State Society (HSS), the HSS ‘Ukulele Hui’, and Halau O'Aulani.
Links: Halau O'Aulani william.ernestburg


Amber Rozel
Amber Rozel has been teaching musicians of all ages for over 20 years. She has been making the magic happen on ukulele for 5 years and recently received the coveted Level 3 Teachers Certificate from the JHUI program. She performs with regional orchestras, the Bay Chamber Players, her (new!) band Evergreen Road, and with anyone that wants to have fun.

Funky Frets Uke Fest Artists Have Included
In first name, alphabetical order.

















































Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books! — Peter Rhee
Aloha, Curt, All I can say is WOW! What you have accomplished is simply incredible! All the best — Glen Hirabayashi, The Aloha Boys
Thanks for visiting and checking out the site!

Original Curtie Animation from 1987 for my first web site on a Macintosh II, 38 years ago.