He created albums noted for their dazzling fretwork, ambitious repertoire, and wistful melodicism. Then, Shimabukuro became an international phenomenon when his video performing George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" went viral on YouTube. By adopting the anthem for the ukulele, Shimabukuro made a significant statement: The ukulele, with its humble four strings and modest two-octave range, is an instrument limited only by imagination and creativity. Widespread acclaim brought collaborations with many artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Michael McDonald, Bela Fleck, Tommy Emmanuel, and Marty Friedman, and performed for the late Queen Elizabeth Il at The Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, England.

Jake felt like a fish out of water when he stepped on stage in front of the Hawai`i Symphony Orchestra in 2015 to perform Dr. Byron Yasui’s ‘Ukulele Concerto, conducted by Maestro JoAnn Falletta. Jake recalls Concertmaster Ignace “Iggy” Jang who encouraged him with non-verbal cues throughout the 36-minute piece. Jake said that was one of his most inspiring musical experiences of his career. The encores on both evenings were “Pianoforte,” an original piece by Jake, performed as a duet with Iggy on violin. This was the natural choice for their collaboration and one that has always been a favorite of Jake’s wife Kelly. “Ever since she heard Iggy and I perform the piece, she kept asking me when we were going to record it together.” The recording truly captures Iggy’s incredible sensitivity and tone as the two instruments melt together in this beautiful and haunting rendition.

Shimabukuro leads a busy tour and recording schedule, and is a husband and father of two, balancing his career with family life and community service. He travels to schools spreading positive messages to young people, encouraging them to live drug-free and find their passion just as he did at age four when his mother gave him his first ukulele lesson.