MONOPOLI TWANGS WITH UKULELES
The clifftop town of Monopoli (Puglia) stages its third Ukulele Festival between the 30th May - 2nd June 2024. The first edition, launched as an experiment in 2022, was such a success, attracting musicians from all over the world, that the town has decided to make it a regular annual event.
The three-day Festival features a full programmes of jam sessions, parades, evening concerts and informal open-mics concentrated in the historic centre. All are free and open to all.
According to the local tourist board, the introduction of the Festival produced an increase in tourism by over 50% during the first 10 months of last year.
The ukulele has an international following. It was developed in the Hawaii Islands at the end of the 19th century by Portuguese immigrants and was enthusiastically adopted by the native people who developed the exclusive “Hawaiian sound”. The origin of the instrument's name is said to mean “jumping flea”.
Info: www.monopolele.com (also on Facebook, Instagram and other social media)