When Fabiola Campoblanco moved from Venezuela to Baton Rouge in the fifth grade, she had to give up the cuatro, a small four-stringed instrument popular in South America.
The civil engineering sophomore couldn’t find cuatro lessons in America, so she tuned her instrument to mimic the sweet sounds of the Hawaiian ukulele. The sound struck a chord with her, and five months ago she bought an actual ukulele.
Campoblanco is part of the ukulele revival happening in Baton Rouge, where the four-stringed instrument is gaining popularity. With the rising interest, ukulele sales have been climbing the past six months at various Baton Rouge music stores, according to representatives from Zeagler’s Music, C&M Music Center and the Guitar Center, all of which are located on Florida Boulevard.
The instrument is benefiting from its use in both mainstream and alternative music, said Vicki Hooks, a rental and sales associate for Zeagler’s Music.
Hooks said one example of the ukulele’s prominence in today’s music is the band Train, which “made it cool again” with the song “Hey, Soul Sister,” which has played a key role in the ukulele revival.
“In general, the type of music people listen to is no longer heavily produced,” said Jordan Dupont, assistant manager at C&M Music Center.
He said with the exception of hip hop or dance music, much mellow music popular today includes the ukulele.
People have gained interest in the ukulele for its affordable price and easy playability. The ukulele’s happy tone and simple chords make it an attractive instrument, said Morgan Landry, a natural resource ecology and management freshman.
“It could definitely bring a lot of cheerfulness to LSU,” Landry said.
Landry started playing the ukulele about a year ago for its bright tone and its small size. 
“Its just a really happy instrument,” Landry said.
Musicians between the ages of 18 and 25 have shown the most interest in the instrument, said Brandon Marong, operations manager at the Guitar Center.
“A lot of college students are doing it,” Marong said.
The ukulele has also found viral popularity online. YouTube sensation and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro has helped to inspire a new ukulele movement with his fast playing and innovative style.
“If I’m playing my ukulele, and I listen to [Shimabukuro], I cannot play my ukulele for the rest of the day,” Hooks said. “He’s just so amazing. He blows it completely out of the