About
The ‘ukulele supergroup U3 brings together three heavy hitters of the uke world in a musical collaboration spanning the Pacific Ocean. With popular YouTuber Cynthia Lin and Nā Hōkū award-winning multi-instrumentalist Abe Lagrimas, Jr. in Honolulu, and "life of the party" Ukulenny in the San Francisco Bay Area, U3 joins forces to create an island-inspired cross-cultural sound. From jazz and bossa nova, to Hawaiian classics, to island reggae remixes, U3's debut album In Waves (2020) features genre-bending arrangements that bridge the artists' skills and versatility, and stretch the ‘ukulele into new territory. In addition to hearing all three artists play ‘ukulele on the album, Cynthia leads with her signature vocals, Ukulenny lays down U-bass and beatbox, and Abe displays his multi-instrumental virtuosity on drums, vibraphone, and percussion.
Cynthia Lin
Creator of the #100DaysofUkuleleSongs project, Cynthia Lin is a singer-songwriter and YouTube personality based in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Through her popular YouTube channel (60+ million views) and approachable teaching style, Cynthia has helped hundreds of thousands of people across the world to discover the joy of ukulele. Her online Patreon community has grown to 5000 members, and she leads the vibrant San Francisco Uke Jam community with her uke partner Ukulenny. Together they founded the San Francisco Uke Fest, which was officially recognized by the State Assembly of California.
As a singer-songwriter, Cynthia has released 9 album recordings independently, with her recent albums Ukulele Days and Cozy Christmas hitting the Billboard charts in their first week of release. In her latest project, the island-inspired In Waves with the ukulele supergroup trio aptly dubbed "U3," Cynthia shares her versatile vocals on songs ranging from Japanese bossa nova to cherished Hawaiian classics to sultry jazz ballads. She encourages you to follow your passion.
Abe Lagrimas, Jr.
Abe Lagrimas, Jr. is a musician, composer, educator, and author who plays the drums, vibraphone, ukulele, and studied at Berklee College of Music. He competed in the highly prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drums Competition and has worked with many different artists such as Eric Marienthal, Eric Reed, Kamasi Washington, Katisse Buckingham, Lalo Schifrin, Barbara Morrison, Michelle Coltrane, Jake Shimabukuro, Kenny Endo, and continues to be an in-demand session musician in Los Angeles. As a solo ukulele artist, Abe is a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award (Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts) recipient and has released multiple albums in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. He has headlined many ukulele festivals throughout the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, China, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, and Australia. Abe is also an active educator who has conducted workshops, currently teaches private lessons, and is an instructor for the Fender Play series. He is the author of Jazz Ukulele: Comping, Soloing, Chord Melodies (Berklee Press & Hal Leonard), which is available in stores worldwide and on Amazon. He currently endorses Canopus Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Vic Firth Drumsticks, Beato Bags, Ko'olau Ukulele, Analysis Plus Cables, Fusion Gig Bags, and Roswell Pro Audio.
Ukulenny
Lenny San Jose, aka Ukulenny, is a performer and educator based in Oakland, CA. He started his ukulele career in 2009 on the BART train, working on his chops and occasionally getting passengers to sing along during his daily commute. His YouTube channel has attracted over 77,000 subscribers and 10 million views, and yes, there is a rick-roll somewhere in there.A multi-instrumentalist at heart, he taught at Oakland School for the Arts and Berkeley Unified School District for five years before becoming a full time musician. His performances feature the ukulele (of course), bass, saxophone, melodion, and beatbox, as he covers a wide variety of music. Lenny's influences include Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, and Bruno Mars, performed with the island spirit of groups like UB40, Kolohe Kai, and the electrifying Kapena. Collaborations include Ukulenny & Dos Pogi Boys (Hawaiian Reggae Trio), The Bob and Lenny Show (Trumpet/Guitar Jazz Duo), and U3 (Ukulele Trio). Sponsored by Kala Brand Music, Ukulenny is a regular fixture in the Kala website, Learn to Play Program and the Kala App. For more info, visit ukulenny.com and follow @ukulenny on social media and spotify.