Grammy-Winning Performer Brings Island Sounds to the Nugget

Sparks/Reno, NV -- Multi-talented Hawaiian musical artist Daniel Ho will display his prowess as a performer on Friday, March 18 in the Celebrity Showroom at John Ascuaga’s Nugget. Ukulele phenom Kris Fuchigami opens the show, part of the 3rd Annual Reno-Tahoe UkeFest.

Ho is world-renowned for his mastery of the slack key guitar -- a style of playing that has become particularly identified with Hawaiian music -- and the ukulele. His 2010 release “Polani” was the first CD of ukulele music ever to win a Grammy nomination.

Ho founded the contemporary jazz group Kilauea in the early 1990s and was the group’s keyboardist. Kilauea recorded six albums, two of them making the Top 10 in Billboard magazine’s smooth jazz category.

In 1998, Ho formed the record label Daniel Ho Creations which has issued over 50 albums of acoustic and Hawaiian-themed music. Ho has won six Grammy Awards as both producer and artist in the category of “Best Hawaiian Music Album” (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2010). Most recently, he teamed with vocalist Tia Carrere for the album “Huana Ke Aloha” which garnered this year’s Grammy in the same category.

Ho has performed throughout the U.S., Japan, and Europe. He has been featured with the Honolulu Symphony; toured as a keyboard player and guitarist for R& B vocalist Peabo Bryson; guest-lectured at Stanford University; and authored instructional books on ‘ukulele and slack key guitar.

Kris Fuchigami is a virtuoso who’s been making audiences sit up and take notice since he was fourteen. His love of the ukulele began when he found a battered Wal-Mart version that his older brother owned. His interest was fanned further by a middle-school teacher who mentioned the name of music legend Jake Shimabukuro to him. Hearing Jake play, Kris was enthralled by his mastery.

When asked why he started playing, Kris’s answer is two words: Jake Shimabukuro.

He dedicated himself to learning the uke. His speed and dexterity soon lead to his winning a prestigious musical scholarship in 2006 at age fifteen, only two years after he first picked up the instrument.

At age twenty-one, Kris has already released two CDs – the latest entitled “Untouchable” -- that showcase his lightning fast playing and a musicality beyond his years. Hear him play tunes like the bluesy-funky “Grandma’s Groove,” or his tender, lyrical version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”and you’ll know why this young man with the flying fingers is something special.

Don’t miss Daniel Ho and Kris Fuchigami at John Ascuaga’s Nugget for one show Friday, March 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or 356-3300 and by visiting januggget.com. For information on the 3rd Annual Reno-Tahoe UkeFest visit playuke.info. Do The Nugget Tonight!