Reviving a Lost Sound: Montserrat National Trust Documents Island’s Last Handcrafted Instrument

The Montserrat National Trust has launched a groundbreaking project to document and safeguard the island’s last locally made musical instrument, the Montserratian uke.

Once a fixture at weddings, Christmas serenades, and family gatherings, these handcrafted ukuleles, fashioned from local wood, goatskin, and even plastic combs, were central to the island’s traditional string bands and communal life. Today, only a handful of ukes survive, and just two known artisans remain: Wilfred White and Edward Semper.

With support from the Arcadia Fund, the British Museum’s Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP), and local stakeholders, the Montserrat National Trust is working to capture the history, techniques, and personal stories behind the uke before the craft disappears altogether.

Principal Investigator on the project is Samantha Koster Lauren. The project includes digital recordings of uke construction and playing techniques, interviews with the remaining makers and musicians, and community outreach to gather memories from those who grew up with the sound of the uke. Filmmaker Randall “Randy” Greenaway has led the visual documentation, capturing rare footage of the craft in action.

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The uke stands out as the last survivor of a once-thriving tradition of Montserratian instrument-making. Other handmade instruments such as fifes, jumbie drums, boom pipes, and shak-shaks once formed the core of string and folk bands. But migration following Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and the Soufrière Hills volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 decimated the island’s population and disrupted the transmission of this cultural knowledge.

The “Rude Boyz,” widely regarded as Montserrat’s last active string band, have not performed in several years as many of the members have passed or migrated, underscoring the urgency of the project.

As part of the initiative, the Montserrat National Trust is inviting the public to contribute stories, instruments, or memories. “Does your family have a locally made uke? A memory of its music? Know someone who once made or played one? We want to hear from you,” the Trust said in a recent appeal.

The completed archive will be made publicly available via the British Museum’s EMKP platform, ensuring global access to Montserrat’s unique musical legacy.

Visitors can explore the uke display and learn more about the project at the Montserrat Museum in Little Bay. Community members are encouraged to stop by, share their stories, and help keep the spirit of the uke alive for future generations.