Mele Fong aka Ukulele Mele tells the story behind the song Yellow Bird. This popular song was written by Michel Mauleart Monton in 1893. The song was based on a poem praising the beauty of a Haitian woman and the melody was adapted in the mid-1950s as calypso music rose in popularity in the U.S. The new English lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman bear no relation to the original, but there is still reference to little birds. Arthur Lyman, who played vibraphones with the Martin Denny combo, made Yellow Bird a pop single in 1961.
In 2015, members of Mele Fong’s Advanced Ukulele class changed the English lyrics of Yellow Bird up high in a banana tree to a local style of Mynah bird up high in one mango tree.
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Native Hawaiian Mele Fong from Maui is an experienced educator and professional entertainer with over 50 years experience playing the ‘ukulele – Hawaii’s official instrument. Are UKE having fun yet? Watch. Listen. Play. The Ukulele Mele Way!
