The Kala Concert Ukulele with Desert StoryLines Logo Bag – Blackwood Apple by Evelyn Young is part of the groundbreaking Desert StoryLines series — a collaboration between Kala Brand Music, Jacaranda Music, and Keringke Arts that brings authentic Aboriginal artwork to life on Kala instruments. Each ukulele in this collection features genuine artwork by Australian Aboriginal artists, celebrating cultural storytelling, connection to Country, and the beauty of desert life.

The idea for creating a range of ukuleles painted with Aboriginal art began in 2008, when Chris Martin (CEO of Martin Guitars) expressed admiration for Aboriginal art during a visit to Australia. This led Greg Cooper of Jacaranda Music to connect with Keringke Arts, a renowned community art centre located in Santa Teresa, approximately 100 km southeast of Alice Springs. Through this collaboration, artists Margaret Bloomfield, Evelyn Young, and Chantelle Mulladad created unique artworks that now adorn Kala ukuleles.

Each artist, represented by Keringke Arts, receives a 6% royalty from every ukulele sold, with Kala USA also contributing royalties once the collection launches internationally. Every ukulele includes a Desert StoryLines logo gig bag and a swing tag that tells the story behind the artwork.

The featured piece, “Blackwood Apple” by Evelyn Young, depicts the bush food known as the Black Apple or Bush Plum. Evelyn explains: “This painting is about the bush food called ‘Black Apple’ or ‘Bush Plum’. The black apple looks like a plum but with seeds. Where I live, we still collect food from the bush like we have for generations – they are always there, in our country for us to collect. We try to teach the next generation to respect country and pass on our knowledge to them.”

More than just an instrument, this ukulele is a vibrant piece of Australian culture — an artistic celebration of heritage, music, and storytelling.

Features

• Genuine Aboriginal artwork by Evelyn Young – “Blackwood Apple” design
• Part of the Desert StoryLines series by Kala Brand Music and Jacaranda Music
• Artwork produced in collaboration with Keringke Arts, Santa Teresa, NT
• 6% artist royalty from every sale supports the artist directly
• Each ukulele includes a Desert StoryLines logo bag and artwork story swing tag
• Unique and collectible—celebrates Aboriginal culture and storytelling