Kala Voyage Series 'Hibiscus' Concert Ukulele

For 2024, Maōri cultural artist Sam Mangakahia created two unique new pieces of art for The Voyage Collection. The soft ivory color of this duo’s artwork stands out in contrast to their mahogany ukulele canvas. With the themes of ‘Resilient’ (Gardenia) and ‘Resourceful’ (Hibiscus), these two floral designs are the embodiment of enduring beauty. Each Voyage Collection ukulele comes with a Voyage Collection gig bag, and story card hang tag telling the unique message of each piece of art.

Resourceful • koki’o kea (Ko-kee-o kay-ah)

White Hawaiian Hibiscus

This incredible plant serves as a reminder to be resourceful and to utilize all of our available resources to uplift others around us.

This design is inspired by an endemic species called Hibiscus arnottianus, also known as Koki’o kea (Ko-kee-o kay-ah) in Hawaiian, and more commonly understood as the White Hawaiian Hibiscus in English. This flower has three subspecies that vary in look and shape and has many uses, both ancient and modern. The Koki’o kea was used for adornment in lei making and for medicinal purposes. For example, the bud was used in conjunction with the bark of the taproot to detoxify the body, and the stem was used to create cordage for a variety of uses on land and at sea. This variety of hibiscus is native to the moist and wet forests of the mountains of Moloka’i and O’ahu.