"A ukulele-playing original" A ukulele-wielding smartass, a YouTube phenomenon, a dual American and Portuguese citizen, and truly a one-of-a-kind talent, 21-year-old Julia Nunes (pronounced "noonz") writes her own music and performs ukulele-based covers of songs by the likes of Weezer and Kanye West. She can be pretty funny, sure, but there's more going on here than just novelty. What comes through in her music is a powerful drive to express herself, and she doesn't so much accompany herself on the ukulele as make it part of herself and her way of singing. "One of my favorite things about the ukulele is, pretty much anywhere you put your fingers, you're making some sort of chord," Julia says. "I think on every one of my ukulele songs, I don't know what chords I'm playing." Julia also plays guitar, melodica, and keyboards; she has fans from England to Brazil; and she has played at Bonnaroo and opened for and duetted with Ben Folds. Her YouTube videos, which started out as a hobby and ended up making her famous, have garnered millions of hits. But, especially in this case, a video is a poor substitute for the real thing. Visit Julia's website

For more information, visit the website for Julia Nunes.