Though it’s now a little over three decades old, Chris Isaak’s huge hit “Wicked Game” became one of the most memorable love songs of the last century.
In fact, the single’s fame has never faded, and it’s still being used in numerous movies, TV shows, and advertisements.
How would you like it if a ukulele virtuoso gave the song a little bit of the Hawaiian magic? Sounds nice, right? Well, that wish has been granted, thanks to a phenomenal collaboration between Taimane and Jasmine Skurtu. For those who don’t know, Taimane is an American ukulele virtuoso and composer who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. That’s where the passion for ukulele comes from, as she began to play the instrument at the age of five.
Taimane, whose name translates to a diamond in Samoan language, was discovered by Don Ho at age 13, and that’s when she decided to pursue an education in music.
After graduating from Kapiolani Community College, Taimane became a well-known local performer.
Soon came a much wider recognition because Taimane began to perform in Japan and China. Taimane’s debut album Loco Princess came out in 2005, but it wasn’t until the 2015 album We Are Made of Stars that fans recognized her full potential.
Soon came a nomination for the Ukulele Album of the Year at the 2016 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.
Her latest project was the 2020 NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Jasmine Skurtu and Taimane wrote a ukulele songbook together—but the collaboration between these two lovely, talented ladies goes way beyond one performance together. Skurtu plays in a flamenco-rock fusion band in San Diego.
Both Musicians are well-known for being able to effortlessly morph genres.
Whether it’s delicate finger-picking of some classical compositions or ripping the strings with some rock songs, Jasmine and Taimane are on top of the game. No wonder they decided to create a songbook together and make their ukulele tabs available to all ukulele players across the world!
The video was filmed on the porch of the Ko’olau Ballrooms & Conference Center in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
We’re not sure if it’s the beautiful scenery or their magical playing, but we felt amazing watching this. The green is everywhere—and the picturesque nature goes hand in hand with such a romantic song they decided to cover.
There is a colorful carpet on the floor, and both artists are performing barefoot.
Everything in the video gives a delicate, subtle combination of all the elements required to make an impactful music act. The countryside, the instruments, the song, the soul—it’s an overload of beauty!
Speaking of audio, we must say that Taimane and Jasmine are incredible players!
They created a perfect, transcendental instrumental cover of a song that everyone probably knows. It’s captivating in every aspect, and you’ll love every part of it. Watching Taimane with the ukulele is pure art—and Jasmine made the guitar happy, too!
Since everything fell into place phenomenally, we’re hoping they cover more songs in the same way!
We could also imagine someone singing with them, perhaps Ville Valo. The “Summer Wine” vibe is very strong here.
Anyway, the video was seen almost three million times on YouTube since it was published in 2018.
We also have to mention that Taimane is the first-ever Hawaii artist featured on Tiny Desk. Great job, ladies, you’ve made Isaak very proud!
Check out their full performance in the link below:
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