1998



5 years
had been passed since from the last stand of UA. Odaji -a member from the early days- was foreseeing that soon there would be a bigger boom of ukulele than the days when UA was active.

Odaji had took over the position of UA's leader from Mochy. At first he tried to reconstruct the group with the old members. But the responses from them were very poor. Only few -including the characteristic banjo-uku player MIOX- had promised to rejoin. They had to recruit the new members for the new UA.

Tool of the communication had been changed to the internet from the hand-to-hand flyers/postcards. Odaji searched out that there were many private web pages of uku-lovers available. He tried to contact the owner of each, and also wrote a message on one of the biggest uku's BBS Tokyo Ukulele Institute. All for appealing the re-start of UA.

On Mar.29 in Shinjuku, the new UA had started with the guerrilla performance again, 27 players on the street singing "Twist & Shout" and "Sesame Street".

Next on Apr.26 in Harajuku with 36 players, then on May.24 in Ginza.


Shinjuku guerrilla, Mar.1998


Harajuku guerrilla, Apr.1998


Ginza guerrilla, May.1998


Even after a long time of blank, soon UA had become the current topic again.

Kiwaya Shoukai (the company of Japanese best uku brand Famous, who had supported UA from the first era) offered UA the stage at a benefit concert in Shinjuku on Jul.5.
The former leader Mochy had rejoined as an MC/conductor. The new song "Tequila" is the most regularly played one since from this first performance until now.

On Aug.16 UA was on the beach in Kamakura for the guerrilla performance to tribute the "Eternal Beach Boy" Yuzou Kayama, a Japanese actor/singer, a missionary of ukulele in the old film.

UA intruded several concerts of their relatives.
On Aug.7, 20members of UA was on the stage of Petty Booka (fake "from Hawaii" ladies' uku & singing duo) to play "Pineapple Princess" together.
On Nov.2 during the concert of Q&A (feat. cartoonist/musician Masayuki Kusumi), the scattered members of UA suddenly stood up here and their, surrounded the audiences to play uku together with the stage.


Kamakura beach guerrilla, Aug.1998


with Petty Booka, Aug.1998


with Q&A, Nov.1998

On Sep.27 and Nov.29, free stages at the front of shopping center VIVRE in Harajuku. On the Nov. stage, UA played full songs with the newly arranged "Exotic X'mas" numbers.

"Jingle Bells" in 80's Blue-Eyed-Soul, "Santa Clause Is Coming To Town" as Ska, "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" was adapted to "Tequila", "Holy Night" in 6/8 Afro Beat, "White X'mas In Quiet Village" was dedicated to the great Exotic-Sound pioneer Martin Denny.

Also the first UA's original song "Ukulele Holy Night" was written and played.


VIVRE, Sep.1998


VIVRE, Nov.1998



Same X'mas set was performed at a party of the restaurant antipasto MISTO on Dec.15 and NUA's meeting on Dec.20.


antipasto MISTO, Dec.1998


NUA, Dec.1998




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