Ukulele ca. 1880 Hawaiian The most familiar Hawaiian instrument is the 'ukulele, a small type of guitar. The instrument was probably introduced to Hawai'i in 1879 by Portuguese settlers from Madeira who brought with them a small guitar called the braguinha. The settlers included three men, Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias, and Jose do Espirito Santo who knew how to make braguinha. The small guitar quickly became popular with Hawaiians and by 1888 Nunes, Dias, and Espirito Santo were all producing examples for the local market. The instrument was modified to suit local musical tastes and the Hawaiian 'ukulele was born. Probably from the late 19th century, this work is among the oldest known 'ukulele. The 'ukulele found favor in the court of the Hawaiian King David Kalkaua, a champion both of customary Hawaiian music and musical innovation. Under Kalkaua's patronage, the 'ukulele was adapted to accompany hula dance performances, transforming the more sedate tempo of earlier types of hula int