Abe was the first Hawaiian musician ever to play in Únětice when he played for about 10 people at U Lasíků wine bar for beer money. Since then we have been trying to get this amazing musician back in a more formal capacity, so we are very happy to finally welcome here to the festival.

Abe Lagrimas Jr. is a musician, composer, educator, and author who plays the drums, vibraphone, ukulele, and studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. In 2012, he competed in the highly prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drums Competition and has worked with many artists such as Eric Marienthal, Eric Reed, Kamasi Washington, Dontae Winslow, Barbara Morrison, Michelle Coltrane, Jake Shimabukuro, Kenny Endo, and continues to be an in-demand session musician in Los Angeles. As a solo ukulele artist, Abe is a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award recipient and has released multiple albums in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Abe is also an educator and has authored the first ever ukulele curriculum for instrumental music programs in schools titled Ukulele Ensemble, Beginning Ukulele – Level 1, published by Consonus Music Institute. His latest book Jazz Ukulele: Comping, Soloing, Chord Melodies (Berklee Press & Hal Leonard) is available in stores worldwide and at ukeshop.cz.