FROM THE TOP MIKE UPTON & DAVE CAFIERO I KALA BRAND MUSIC CO. INTERVIEWED BY KATIE KAILUS
HOW DO YOU START YOUR DAY? Mike Upton: I always try to crack open the Bible and read Psalms and Proverbs. I try to give the first 15 or 20 minutes of my day to that. Then it’s right into emails, much to my wife’s chagrin, with a strong cup coffee. Dave Cafiero: We’re both very ideologically matched. We send devotions back and forth. VERY NICE. MIKE — CAN YOU TAKE ME THROUGH STARTING KALA 20 YEARS AGO? WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START A UKULELE BRAND? MU: I worked for Hohner for 10 years from 1995 to 2005, and I started a ukulele line for them called Lani - kai. That was probably one of the first significant imported ukulele lines because that was around 1998 or 1999. I lived in Lanikai, Hawaii, for the first few years I was mar - ried. I started selling and everybody wanted ukuleles, but nobody could get a decent uke except for a locally made one. So, I started that line for Hohner, and it just morphed into me wanting to do something on my own. I started Kala in 2005, left Hohner and just kept rolling. It snow - balled at that point because nobody was really doing it. I saw that I was on the freeway all by myself with the pedal to the metal. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE KALA NAME? MU: It’s a Hawaiian word. It has three distinct mean- ings, but the first one is tied to reconciliation or forgive - ness. It’s really a prayer. But it’s also slang for “money.” And it’s also a fish. So, there’s multiple meanings. NICE. DID YOU START THE COMPANY ALONE OR DID YOU HAVE A TEAM BEHIND YOU? MU: It was myself, and I had a guy who helped in the warehouse shipping stuff. Then Leanne [McClellon] came on and Dave joined in April 2010. But the first year or so it was just me. Today, 20 years later, we have right around 50 employees. DC: I think it’s significant because knowing how chal - lenging it is to start a business these days and see that it’s still around and strong 20 years later means it’s a real thing. Ukuleles are more than a fad. They continue to move forward and gain popularity, and we’ve helped develop that. The 20-year mark also generates a lot of gratefulness for me. We’ve seen a lot of businesses come and go, and WHAT DOES REACHING THAT 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY MEAN TO EACH OF YOU?
I’m proud to be a part of something that not only lasted for 20 years but to see a lot of our instruments in peoples’ hands. That makes me feel good. MU: During [January’s] NAMM show, things were hit - ting me as I looked at the timeline on the wall of the 20 years. There’s so much that goes into 20 years that I think it all comes down to the people you meet along the way that make the biggest difference. Some of those people are just around for a short period of time and some are there for the whole 20 years. Some people have passed on — there’s numerous store owners and customers of mine who have passed on — and that really hit me look- ing at the timeline in our NAMM booth. Also, we’ve sold more than 5 million instruments. When more than 5 million people have your instruments, you realize you have a part in helping make musicians — whether they stick with the ukulele or they transition into guitar or music in general. It’s so cool to know you’re just a part of that narrative. BESIDES THE SPECIAL EDITIONS MODELS THAT DEBUTED AT NAMM, ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR THE ANNIVERSARY YEAR? MU: We released six different models and there were two specific models we will create as many as possible, but there are others that have been crafted from select Koa that I chose from our stash in California, so those are truly limited editions. All the 20th anniversary editions have California poppies on the headstocks to blend our roots in California with our Hawaiian roots. As far as a party, we might do something around July 4th, because that’s when I started the company. WHAT MAKES KALA’S UKULELES STAND OUT FROM OTHER UKE BRANDS? DC: There’s a lot of brands out there. What makes us dif- ferent is we’ve attached a lot of education and a lot of re- sources to the instrument. We understand that it takes work to learn how to play and some people can be intimidated. For me, learning a new language is challenging, and music is a new language for many. In 2012, I realized new players needed more support. So, we created the Learn To Play Uke series and incorporated artists who teach a lesson for every level of music development on our website. We also have the Kala Ukulele App with a tuner and ukulele karaoke function that helps you play along with new songs. We provide those resources be-
30 I MUSIC INC. I APRIL 2025
Powered by FlippingBook