Tag Archives: Tri-Cities

Cutie Circle’s 12th Birthday Celebration — Music in the Square

In collaboration with the City of Port Coquitlam, Cutie Circle is bringing two world-renowned ukulele artists to Leigh Square for an afternoon of workshops, concerts and a ukulele jam!

Intended for ukulele players and music lovers alike, this event will show the audience some ukulele techniques; entertain via various music genres played through the lens of this happiest instrument on Earth; and engage the community in an open jam for a hearty singalong !

Program

Check-in (for registered attendees who would like to receive workshop and jam packages)

01:00 PM onwards

Workshops

02:00 PM – 03:40 PM

Concerts

03:40 PM – 04:30 PM

Ukulele Jam (with David, Eduardo and the Cuties Band)

04:30 PM – 05:00 PM

Door Prizes

05:00 PM

About the Artists

David Chen

A leading figure in the Ukulele world from Taiwan — performer, author, and educator across Greater China.

He graduated from York University in UK for his master degree, now is the president of Chung Hua International Ukulele Association in Taiwan.

David Chen is a key promoter of the ukulele in the Chinese-speaking world, devoted to music education and international cultural exchange. He has served as a special guest ukulele instructor for companies such as Alibaba Group and Apple Shanghai Headquarters. He is widely recognized as a renowned performer, best-selling author, and educator in Taiwan, China, Singapore and Malaysia.

David is particularly known for his unique “Hawaiian Two-Finger Style,” which has captured attention across the industry. He has held solo ukulele concerts at prestigious venues like Shanghai Concert Hall and Shenzhen Concert Hall, delivering emotionally rich and technically refined performances.
As the founder and organizer of the Taiwan and Shanghai International Ukulele Festivals, David has played a crucial role in fostering the ukulele boom in Greater China, while also promoting deep international collaborations among performers.

He is the author of over seven instructional books, including the best-selling “24 Essential Ukulele Lessons”, the first comprehensive ukulele textbook for Chinese readers, and the highly acclaimed “Perfect Hawaiian Two-Finger Arrangements.”

David’s unique style has made him beloved by ukulele enthusiasts around the world. He has been invited to perform and teach in over 20 countries and cities, including Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe, and the Americas, continuing to spread the charm of the ukulele worldwide.

Always with me

Demo of Two-finger style

Eduardo García

Eduardo is a multi-instrumentalist originally from Mexico who arrived in Vancouver in 2017.

He has been a full time Ukulele Instructor since 2012. He was the founder/director of the Academia de Ukuleles de la Ribera (Lakeside Ukulele Academy), a self-financed music school that provides instruments and free music lessons to all children in his community and that continues to this day.

He was a feature performer at the Vancouver Ukulele Festival in 2018 and 2019; the Ajijic Ukulele Retreat (Mexico) in 2017 and 2019; the Seoul International Aloha Ukulele Festival (South Korea) in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025; the Kamloops Ukulele Festival (Canada) in 2022, 2024 and 2026, the Fort Langley International Ukulele Festival (Canada) in 2025, and was featured in the International spotlight of the Ukulele Festival Hawai’i in 2021, among other online ukulele events organized in Japan, Brazil, Canada and USA.

Autumn Leaves

Undertale

Acknowledgements

We thank the City of Port Coquitlam for financially supporting this event at the beautiful Leigh Square. We are grateful to Louise and James for their generous contribution towards the costs of workshop and jam packages. Special thanks go to Harvey for some of the book prizes.

Event Details

Date: Sunday · July 5, 2026
Time: 2:00 to 5:00 pm
Location: Leigh Square, 2253 Leigh Square Place, Port Coquitlam
Admission: Free

Ticket and Registration:
To receive a free workshop and jam package at the event, register at Eventbrite by June 29:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/music-in-the-square-tickets-1992175794429?


Parking Map: https://maps.portcoquitlam.ca/portal/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=2e0c6ce36b334b1c9aab01b949d5cb8b

Courtesy of City of Port Coquitlam

What to Bring for the Workshops and/or Jam

Participants are encouraged to bring their own ukulele, music stand, digital tuner and clips (or clothes pins) for fastening songsheets.

What to Bring for the Concerts

While there will be benches on site, please feel free to bring chairs or blankets. Also, attendees can feel free to bring hats. There are eateries nearby for a quick snack or beverage.

Rideshare

If you can give a ride or can use a ride to the event, please feel free to sign up here.

Cutie Circle Celebrates Three Years of Ukulele Fun

The Coquitlam Ukulele Tiny Instrument Enthusiasts (Cutie) Circle will be hosting a ukulele birthday bash on Sunday, July 9, to celebrate its third birthday!!!!

There will be cake, a couple of prizes and lots of strumming and singing with friends! First-time visitors are welcome to join us for free this weekend! We’ll be bringing a few extra ukuleles for brand new players to try out at the Circle!

Come between 2 and 4pm this Sunday to the Rehearsal Hall at the Evergreen Cultural Centre.

Let us celebrate this milestone with family and friends who have supported us the last three years to put on ukulele workshops, concerts, community outreach for newcomers to Canada, ukulele documentary film screenings, and the Fraser Valley Regional Library’s Uke ‘N Play public ukulele lending initiative, just to name a few.

We are especially grateful to the many participants of our free 7-Week Ukulele Workshop Series for Absolute Beginners who have gone on to spreading joy by volunteering their time to host ukulele circles in their own communities and workplace including in Pitt Meadows, Port Moody, Vancouver and soon in Maple Ridge this September.

As we look ahead to the coming season, we invite you to be a part of our community outreach at the City of Coquitlam’s Multicultural Day on July 15, 2017 at the Glen Pine Pavilion. We’ll be performing on stage and giving our very popular, free mini-lessons on the ukulele to the public.

We’ll also be celebrating Culture Days with ukulele activities fit for the entire family on September 30 at the Michael Wright Art Gallery, in the Gathering Place at Leigh Square in Port Coquitlam and on October 1 at the Pinetree Community Centre in Coquitlam.

We would like to thank the Cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, especially the folks at the Evergreen Cultural Centre and Leigh Square, for the support we receive and look forward to many more happy times shared at these outstanding venues.

As we contemplate the amount of ukulele fun we have had, we send our gratitude to our mentors, including Azo Bell, Jim D’Ville, Manitoba Hal, Kimo Hussey, Zanuck Lindsey, Ralph Shaw, and Jake Shimabukuro. We are thankful to our friends and local ukulele leaders, Gary Cyr, Braden Deans, and Ron Usher who have generously lent their hands from the very start to make sure the Cutie Circle would thrive! We finally thank all the Cuties who volunteered and/or participated in ukulele activities of all manners. Your enthusiasm inspires us daily to spread the ukulele spirit and passion to a larger audience! Thank you for your friendship!

See you all at the Birthday Bash!