Love… with strings attached

The Roaring Twenties were the setting for the most recent series of Downton Abbey, the years of the devastating Wall Street Crash – and, of course, the heyday of the Jazz Age. Less known, however, is the humble four-stringed mini-guitar that was also the defining image, and sound, of that decade.

Originating from Portugal, it was taken to Hawaii by immigrants in the late 19th century. The ukulele hit the big time when performers such as Johnny Marvin and Cliff Edwards picked it up, and its basic, four-string build made it very popular with amateur players and those keen to learn a new instrument.

But its golden age didn't last, and  the 'uke' saw a slump in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s when it became about as cool as socks and sandals. Despite this, however, it has always retained a cult following and is as popular as ever.

The uke's popularity in Hawaii was spearheaded by Manuel Nunes. In 1879, he established himself as the first specialist ukulele manufacturer, and his name personified the instrument for the next 40 years. When Nunes died in 1922, his son Leonardo took over the business and continued to make ukes through the 1930s. The high level of Leonardo and Manuel's craftsmanship made their instruments incredibly prized the world over.

Two of the earliest stars of the ukulele world were Ernest Ka'ai and Cliff Edwards. Ka'ai was known as Hawaii's greatest ukulele player with many knowing him as the 'father of the ukulele'. Ka'ai was the first musician to establish the uke as a solo instrument in its own right. On top of being a highly skilled player, he also composed and published uke sheet music. He also was the first person to write the uke instruction book – in short, without Ka'ai, the uke probably would not be as popular as it is today.

Cliff Edwards, aka 'Ukulele Ike', played a huge part in taking its sound to continental America and establishing its place in popular music during the 1920s and 1930s. Ike, after all, was one of the biggest names of the Jazz Age. His crooning style and the sound of the ukulele saw hits such as I'll See You In My Dreams and When You Wish Upon A Star (which became Disney's signature tune after its use in Pinocchio) become the must-have 78 records in every home.

As the 20th century rolled on, the names associated with the uke became bigger and brighter. Although it was never featured as an accompaniment in his recordings, Bing Crosby used the uke frequently in his Road To... films, in which he starred with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Laurel and Hardy also used the uke in many of their films, including Sons Of The Desert and Way Out West.

And as the instrument's popularity increased, so did its sex appeal. Hipswinging singer Elvis Presley abandoned his rock'n'roll image in the mid 1960s and replaced it with a new surfer-boy look, and took up wearing a Hawaiian shirt and playing the ukulele He starred in three films with his new image: Blue Hawaii; Girls! Girls! Girls! and Paradise, Hawaiian Style. Presley sheet music for the ukulele could also be found in music shops everywhere.

Marilyn Monroe playing the ukulele in Some Like It Hot is one of the most iconic images in the uke's colourful history. Sadly, no one knows whether she was actually playing the instrument or miming.

But George Formby is undoubtedly the most recognised ukulele artist. He started his career in the music halls, but things didn't take off until he introduced the uke to his act in the mid 1920s. His ukulele tunes, including When I'm Cleaning Windows and With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock (originally banned by the BBC due to its sauciness) led to a huge increase in uke sales.

Today we have the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain, which performs everything from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana. It could yet become the soundtrack to the future.