Taimane Gardner
Taimane Tauiliili Bobby Gardner[1] (born February 13, 1989) is an American ukulele virtuoso and composer.
Taimane Gardner  | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Taimane Tauiliili Bobby Gardner | 
| Born | February 13, 1989 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.  | 
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer | 
| Instruments | Ukulele, Vocals, Guitar | 
Early life
    
Taimane was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and is of Samoan, German, Irish, French, and Swedish descent.[2][3] Her name translates to diamond in Samoan language.[3] Taimane began playing the ukulele at the age of 5 and attended legendary Roy Sakuma’s ukulele school. She was discovered by legendary musician Don Ho at age 13 and also studied under Jake Shimabukuro as a teenager.[4] She graduated from the Honolulu Waldorf School before attending Kapiolani Community College.[5]
Career
    
Taimane became a popular local musician on the Waikiki performance circuit as a teenager.[6] In 2005, she released her first album Loco Princess.[2] Her album Life – The Art & Beauty of Being Human was released in 2008.[7] Other released solo projects include Ukulele Dance in 2012, We Are Made of Stars in 2015, and Elemental in 2018.[8][9]
Taimane has performed internationally in Japan and Hong Kong.[7][10] Her album We Are Made of Stars was nominated for Ukulele Album of the Year at the 2016 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.[11] Taimane has also been recognized for her cover medley performances including a spot on the Guitar World Magazine Top 10 Ukulele Moments list.[12] On March 13, 2020, Taimane had an NPR Tiny Desk concert with over 1 million views.[13]
Discography
    
Albums
- Loco Princess (2005)
 - Life – The Art & Beauty of Being Human (2008)
 - Ukulele Dance (2012)
 - We Are Made of Stars (2015)
 - Elemental (2018)
 
References
    
- Varga, George (October 3, 2012). "Tiny G string a key to ukuleles' success?". U-T San Diego. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
 - Mossman, Bill (July 14, 2006). "The Diamond of Waikiki". MidWeek. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
 - "TAIMANE GARDNER – UKULELE QUEEN". The Coconet TV. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
 - Chan, Tracy (March 7, 2017). "Taimane Gardner's video medley celebrates beach life and surf culture". Hawaii Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
 - "Taimane Gardner: Ukulele Virtuoso". Waldorf School TV. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
 - O'Connor, Christina (March 18, 2016). "Taimane's Odyssey". Metro Honolulu. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
 - Harada, Wayne (September 23, 2008). "'Gift of Aloha' returns for the holidays". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
 - Moran, Pat (July 2, 2015). "Taimane Gardner: Reaching for the Stars". Ukulele Magazine. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
 - "Ukulele artist Taimane previews new 'Elemental' album". KHON-TV. April 18, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
 - Lynam, Robin (October 30, 2015). "Ukulele virtuoso Taimane Gardner thinking big ahead of Hong Kong gig". South China Morning Post. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
 - Olwell, Greg (May 31, 2016). "Ohta and Tolentino Take Home Ukulele Album of the Year Award". Ukulele Magazine. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
 - "The Top 10 Ukulele Moments". guitarworld. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
 - "Taimane: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert".
 
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