Strumming through history: How the ukulele became the sound of the Pacific

"Their fingers were jumping here, there, and everywhere… it reminded them of grandmothers picking fleas from children's hair. And from that vision came the word ukulele — meaning, jumping fleas."Almost 150 years ago, Madeiran workers brought a small wooden instrument with a bright lively sound to the sugar cane fields of Hawai'i. Since then, it's travelled across the Pacific, taking on new forms, new names, and a powerful cultural role.In Hawai'i, no name is more closely tied to the ukulele than Kamaka, whose legacy now rests in the hands of company president, Chris Kamaka. From the Cook Islands, ukulele player and academic Ma'ara Maeva — now a learning specialist at Auckland Museum in Aotearoa, New Zealand — shares how the instrument has been reimagined, adapted, and woven into Pacific culture.Listen to this episode of Culture Compass with host Afamasaga Seiuli Salamasina von Reiche on ABC Radio Australia.Culture Compass was produced by Deadset Studios for ABC Radio Australia.