Jeff Peterson and Tom Vendetti are shown at the Tiger’s Nest monastery in Bhutan. Courtesy photo

In early November, around 30 children in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan were gifted with ukuleles from Maui and taught how to play the instruments as the latest venture by the World Ukulele Program.

With multi-Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning guitarist Jeff Peterson and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Tom Vendetti representing Maui, they were joined by musician teachers Tom Lunneberg, Jeff Cook, Kevin Horan and Ann Mortifee, the wife of the late legendary flutist Paul Horn, who was featured in Vendetti’s doc “Journey inside Tibet.”

“Jeff Cook and Tom Lunnenberg are excellent slack key and ukulele players,” Vendetti explained. “And Ann Mortifee is brilliant. She wrote a book called ‘In Love with the Mystery’ that Oprah would keep by her bedside.”

Founded by Keola and Moanalani Beamer, the Maui-based Mohala Hou Foundation runs the World Ukulele Program with a mission to help spread aloha around the world.

“The idea of this program came out of the State Department’s American Music Abroad tours that I did with Keola and Moana Beamer,” Peterson explained. “We went to South America and Africa, and I loved it. With the ukulele project, it’s incredible to see how the students are so enthusiastic and excited to learn. There’s something about the ukulele. It’s a very social instrument. It’s small and portable, it’s easy to play and you can play any style of music.”

The Beamers, Vendetii and Peterson previously traveled to Cambodia and Sikkim with the ukulele program.

“I think of ukuleles as little vessels of joy,” said Keola Beamer, who was unable to make the Bhutan trip with his wife because of knee surgery.

While in Bhutan, Vendetti presented Bhutanese citizens Jigme Drukpa and Thinley Choden with Emmy Award plaques for their work on his film, “Bhutan Taking The Middle Path To Happiness,” which he directed and co-produced.

“Jigme Drukpa is probably the most famous Bhutanese cultural performer in Bhutan,” Vendetti noted.

Shot in 2005, the feature documentary, “Bhutan Taking The Middle Path To Happiness,” offered a rare insight into the Himalayan kingdom where the people’s happiness is the goal of its government, life is viewed as sacred and happiness lies in following the Buddhist middle path. An Association for Asian Studies review of the film noted: “From the opening photos of an idyllic, remote setting to friendly young monks to prayer flags whipping in the morning breeze carrying peace prayers, you know where to find Shangri La.”

Maui based filmmaker Vendetti’s previous works include “Journey Inside Tibet,” “Mount Kailash: Return to Tibet,” and “When The Mountain Calls: Nepal, Tibet & Bhutan,” which included a prologue and epilogue by Hana’s Kris Kristofferson.

Besides teaching in Bhutan, their trip included an arduous hike to the famous Paro Taktsang Monastery, built in the late 17th century on the site of a cliff cave. Known as Tiger’s Nest, it sits more than 9,000 feet above the Paro Valley. “It’s a three-hour trek into the mountains,” Vendetti reported.

During the trip Vendetti screened the world premiere of a new doc on Jeff Peterson, featuring the “Concerto for Slack Key Guitar and Orchestra — Malama ‘Aina,” which PBS Hawaii will broadcast next spring. Footage was shot of the concert’s debut with the Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra in 2016.

“I took the footage and inserted scenes of our volcanoes to bring the music to life,” Vendetti said.

With three movements dedicated to Haleakalā, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, Peterson performed the concerto with the Maui Pops orchestra in 2022.

“I wrote a piece for each of the volcanoes that are part of the National Park system,” he explained. “The concept was to bring the sound of slack key to a full orchestra. Tom took footage from the premiere performance of it and set it to beautiful images of the three volcanoes. He did a great job.”

The Olinda-born guitarist won the 2024 Hawaiian Slack Key Album of the Year award for his Maui tribute, “Paniolo Son.” He just released the 17-track new album, “Slack Key for the Holidays,” with charming solo guitar interpretations of “Silent Night,” “Silver Bells” and “The Holly and the Ivy.”

“It’s something I’ve wanted to record for a long time,” he said. “I’m excited to have it released.”