YouTube helps to bring international fame to ukulele

The ukulele has come a long way since it was introduced to the people of Hawaii back in the late 1800s.

In fact, lately, it’s been having quite a moment in the spotlight – thanks in large part to YouTube.

Taimane sure can tear it up on the ukulele. She’s been playing since she was five.

Taimane is now 22-years old. She has a fan base not only in Hawaii, but also around the world.

"Mostly the United States and Japan, but then it slowly went to Europe, and the Netherlands," she said.

And she has YouTube to thank.

"I’ve been on YouTube for about five years now. A long time. My dad got me onto it," she said.

The ukulele has exploded in popularity in recent years.

Here’s pop star Taylor Swift strumming the ukulele during a concert in Georgia two years ago.

And Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder’s new solo album "Ukulele Songs" is set to be released at the end of this month.

And thanks to YouTube, this little boy in Japan has become an international sensation.

Can you believe this is one of the most popular videos on YouTube, with more than 41 million views since it was uploaded in 2009.

"The ukulele is pretty fun and it’s pretty easy to learn so if you already play guitar, and most guitarists know how to play the ukulele is a piece of cake," Taimane said. "And it’s changing it’s not just the Hawaiian instrument now. It’s now into folk bands, rock bands."

Taimane has a YouTube channel with 3,000 subscribers

And as for the future of the ukulele?

"You know I think it’s just going to get bigger and bigger and bigger, and I think it might be up there with the guitar. I mean you’re starting to hear it in movie soundtracks now all these other plans playing with it live so it’s going to grow and explode and it’s going to become a regular instrument in the regular instrument world hopefully," Taimane said.

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro has also said he gained mainstream fame, thanks to YouTube.

Israel Kamakawiwoole’s hit song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" has more than 36 million views on YouTube.