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Brief history of the Ukulele Filipino Club

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In the heart of Winnipeg, a small four-stringed instrument is creating a powerful resonance that transcends mere music.

The Ukulele Filipino Club began as a modest seed planted in November 2022 through the Healthy Together Now grant of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Ernesto Ofiaza Jr., president of the Filipino Music and Arts Association of Canada Inc. (FMAACI) first introduced the instrument to a group of ten seniors through a free ukulele workshop for beginners at the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba.

Inspired by his own journey under the mentorship of Canadian singer, songwriter and storyteller, Kate Ferris, and the Ukulele Club of Winnipeg, Ofiaza envisioned a space where heritage and harmony could meet.

By the 2023 - 2024 season, that vision matured into a formal partnership between FMAACI and the Filipino Seniors Group of Winnipeg (FSGW) headed by their president Jun Isla, also treasurer of FMAACI. The Ukulele Filipino Club was officially named by Ofiaza as a tribute to both his cultural roots and the inclusive spirit of the local community.

Today, the club has expanded to over 40 members, turning the Filipino Seniors Hall at 49 Euclid Avenue into a vibrant sanctuary of song every Wednesday. Under the rhythmic guidance of instructor and FMAACI Secretary Jeanette Perez, the group’s repertoire serves as a melodic bridge across time, blending sentimental Filipino classics with English oldies from the 60s and 70s.

Their influence has even reached the airwaves, with a spirited performance of Beautiful Sunday on CBC Radio’s Weekend Morning Showcapturing the city’s imagination. Yet the club’s true impact is measured in more than just notes; as Perez points out, the strumming provides vital cognitive stimulation and a surge of confidence for its senior members.

By preserving musical traditions in the diaspora and strengthening intergenerational ties, the Ukulele Filipino Club has become a vital thread in Winnipeg’s multicultural fabric, proving that community is best built one chord at a time.