Biden Nominates Shimabukuro to National Council on the Arts Posted On WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on June 23 announced his intent to nominate the 17 individuals to serve in key roles, including Jake Shimabukuro as a member of the National Council on the Arts. Jake Shimabukuro Shimabukuro is a career ukulele player who wide experience in the arts. He first gained notice in the late 1990s with the popular musical group Pure Heart. After the group dissolved, his fame as a solo artist spread throughout Hawaii and eventually to Japan. There, in 2001, Shimabukuro signed a historic deal with Epic Records/Sony Music, which formed the basis of a career punctuated by a string of hit albums and standing-room-only audiences.