World-renowned ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro released his highly anticipated new album ‘Calm Seas’ and is out now. The acoustic ambient album marks a reflective new chapter in Shimabukuro’s creative journey, rooted in simplicity, peace, and the quiet strength of connecting nature to the human spirit. Recorded in Hawai’i, the project features 13 original compositions with 12 additional versions included on the digital album. Each track evokes cinematic landscapes and meditative soundscapes, showcasing Shimabukuro’s unmistakable ability to push the ukulele beyond convention with performances that are both technically breathtaking and deeply personal.
Shimabukuro explains, “Calm Seas was an eye-opening and healing project for me. It rekindled my connection and relationship with nature. As a kid, I spent a lot of time outdoors, swimming in the ocean, camping in the mountains. Some of my favorite memories include sleeping on the beach to the sound of the waves, and waking up to the light of the rising sun.” The album flips his typical creative process. He says, “Usually, when I think of adding the sounds of the ocean, waterfalls, or the sound of native birds to any music score, I write the music first, and later add the background sounds. However, for this project, we recorded nature first and created the music around it. The sound of the birds and the ocean waves served as the leading melodic content for each piece.” Songs like “Sounds of Hakalau” blend his signature ukulele artistry with calls of critically endangered native Hawaiian bird species, creating an immersive soundscape that transports listeners directly into the lush rainforest. Shimabukuro returns to the road in March 2026 promoting the album.