The Uke: Montserrat’s Last Locally Crafted Musical Instrument

PI: Samantha Lauren | Collaborators: Randall Greenaway and Claribel Figueroa Garcia | Project ID: 2024SG12
Location of Research: Monserrat, British Overseas Territories | Host Institution: Montserrat National Trust

This project documents the endangered tradition of uke making and string band performance on Montserrat. Although the instrument is locally referred to as a “uke,” it differs in important ways from the standard Hawaiian ukulele and reflects a broader history of Caribbean musical exchange, adaptation, and vernacular instrument-making traditions. Following Hurricane Hugo (1989) and the Soufriere Hills Volcanic eruptions (beginning in 1995), most of Montserrat’s population emigrated. The emigres included musicians who crafted their instruments from locally available materials. Local instrument production is now reduced to two makers, each in their 70s. From seven local instruments (ukes, babla and jumbie drums, fifes, gradges, shak-shaks, and boom pipes) only ukes are still made.

The uke is central to local string band music. Venezuelan immigrants introduced string bands in the 19th century. The sound’s unique evolution by island exemplifies Caribbean syncretism. The hand-crafted uke is a tangible representation of this syncretism. String band music played a vital role in community life, accompanying public events and rites of passage. In the 20th century, radios and stereos began to replace live performances. By 1949, Trinidadian steel pan music supplanted string bands. The 1970s and 80s saw a brief revival of traditional music. But today, globalization, technology, and commercialization have replaced local instruments and sounds. When live music is performed, it is limited to steel pan or Masquerade bands that use mass-produced instruments. The last Montserratian string band, the “Rude Boyz,” has not performed for two years, and the remaining uke makers have no market.

This collection focuses primarily on the work and knowledge of Montserratian uke makers and players, particularly Mr. Wilfred White and Mr. James Benjamin Baker, alongside workshop performances, oral history interviews, and related historical materials contributed by Mr. Randall Greenaway.

Methodology

The project documents instrument construction techniques, tuning systems, terminology, repertoire, and performance practices associated with Montserrat’s string band traditions. It also records aspects of oral transmission and embodied musical knowledge that are at risk of disappearing as the number of active makers and players declines. Data collection was carried out across Montserrat through interviews, demonstrations, workshop activities, still photography, and audiovisual documentation. Filming focused on stages of uke construction where possible, including wood selection and preparation, shaping the instrument body, fret installation, skin application (“heading”), stringing, tuning, and performance demonstration. Follow-up interviews were also conducted to clarify local terminology, tuning practices, and construction methods. Additional documentation included workshop presentations, historical films on string band traditions, oral history interviews, and live musical performances, all carried out as part of a public workshop event held at the National Museum of Montserrat on 4 April 2026.

Metadata and time-based annotations were created for audiovisual materials using the EMKP metadata framework and ELAN annotation software. Written informed consent was obtained wherever possible using EMKP consent forms. Participants were approached individually; the project’s aims and the intended Creative Commons license were explained, and signed consent was obtained prior to documentation. A small number of historical individuals and groups appearing in archival footage could not be contacted because they are deceased or could not be reliably identified.

For the public workshop held on 4 April 2026, participants and attendees were informed that photography and filming would take place and that recordings would form part of the EMKP archive. Filming notices were displayed at the venue entrances and within the workshop space, the project and its intended dissemination under a Creative Commons license were explained at the beginning of the event, and attendees were given the opportunity to raise any concerns before recording commenced.

Selected Assets

The following assets provide an overview of the garden fence production process.

Acknowledgements from the project team

We thank the Montserrat National Trust, the National Museum of Montserrat, Mr. Edward Semper, Mr. Wilfred White, Mr. James Benjamin Baker, Mr. Randall Greenaway, Mr. Sam Greaves, the workshop musicians and participants, and the many community members who generously shared their time, knowledge, and support throughout the project.