Jake Shimabukuro hails from Honolulu, but the ukulele wizard first became a star in Japan. He fell for the instrument when his mother, an acclaimed performer herself, gave him his first lesson at the age of four. After leaving his trio Pure Heart, who were popular in the islands, he recorded a string of Japan-only solo albums in the '00s. His international breakout came in 2006 with a virtuosic George Harrison cover; his low-key video quickly went viral, and his bookings exploded. Since then, his skillful performances, innovative techniques, and clever pop covers have taken him stratospheric.