Taimane

Taimane (full name Taimane Tauiliili Bobby Gardner, born February 13, 1989, in Honolulu) is an American ʻukulele player and composer of Samoan, German, Irish, French, and Swedish descent. She began playing the ʻukulele at age five and studied at Roy Sakuma's ʻukulele school. As a teenager she became a fixture on the Waikīkī performance circuit and was discovered by entertainer Don Ho. She also studied under ʻukulele player Jake Shimabukuro during her teenage years.

Performing as a solo artist, Taimane developed a style that merges classical, rock, flamenco, and Polynesian influences into instrumental arrangements built around the ʻukulele. She has released several studio albums, including We Are Made of Stars (2015), Elemental (2018), and Hawaiki (2022), and has toured internationally.

In 2019 she won her first Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award, for Favorite Entertainer of the Year. Her recorded work has also drawn Nā Hōkū Hanohano nominations, including a Ukulele Album of the Year nomination for We Are Made of Stars and an Instrumental Composition of the Year nomination for the song "Water" from Elemental. Her 2022 album Hawaiki explores her Polynesian roots.