Aloha From Fans


Comments: 37
  • #37

    Glynis Buschmann (Sunday, 25 September 2016 14:12)

    We caught you at Yuba College & what a wonderful performance! Not only are you a talented musician, but a personable, gracious guy! Loved the diversity of music & having the chance to talk with you after the performance! I hope our paths cross with you again!

  • #36

    Aaron & Darryl (Wednesday, 07 September 2016 01:03)

    Ben, I can't tell you how much we loved having you perform at our wedding. It really made it a special day for us and guests. I can't tell you how many times people asked me how I found out about you. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to hearing you perform again soon!

    Mahalo,
    Aaron & Darryl

  • #35

    Ben Gumbiner (Tuesday, 26 April 2016 12:52)

    Ben played at our wedding and was awesome! He was professional throughout and sounded great. We asked him to play songs from different and varied music genres and he nailed them all. There is a particular charm to the ukulele that he can bring out because it is his focus, which most guitar players who switch over seem to lack.

  • #34

    Brian Blagg (Sunday, 25 October 2015 22:11)

    Ben was the consummate professional performer who was a hit at our son's 4th birthday luau. Ben performed a wide variety of genres including reggae, Hawaiian, Disney, rock, and even rap for our guests. I would highly recommend Ben for any event you might have from a wedding to a luau. Ben enjoys people and has a unique way of interacting and connecting with everyone you may have at an event from young to old.

  • #33

    Joanne Pond (Tuesday, 06 October 2015 09:53)

    Ben was amazing! We couldn't have asked for a better person to play at out wedding. He was so easy to work with and of course his talent speaks for itself. Thankyou Ben for the memories!

  • #32

    Rachel Herbert (Monday, 27 July 2015 02:47)

    Ben played at our wedding a couple weeks ago, and he was amazing. Several guests with a wide range of ages and music preferences came up to me mid-reception and said, "Where did you find this guy? He is AWESOME!!" He was also great with the planning beforehand; he was flexible, communicative, professional, and kind. I would highly recommend Ben for your event or wedding!

  • #31

    Mega Lee (Monday, 29 June 2015 16:17)

    I had a pleasure of working with Ben this past weekend for a wedding and I can not say enough of how amazingly talented Ben is! I have been a Wedding Coordinator for the past 8 years and I just wish I can work with Ben for every wedding! Ben was extremely flexible and easy to work with. From picking songs to listening to what the client's wants and needs. He came, set up, WOWed us and packed up, many of the guests were expressing how AMAZING Ben's songs and voice was!

    A guest needed to move their car during cocktail because it was blocking another car and instead of just announcing it over the microphone, Ben sang the announcement with his breathtaking voice!

    Will definitely refer Ben to everyone getting married! Thanks Ben!!

    Mega Lee
    Wedding Coordinator
    Weddingsbymega.com

  • #30

    Kayla (Monday, 01 June 2015 22:33)

    We really enjoyed having Ben share his musical gift with us at our corporate gathering! He set the perfect tone for the evening, entertaining our guests and accepting every request they threw at him. So very impressed and would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for an awesome evening of blissful tunage :)

  • #29

    UCSF Multicultural Resource Center (Friday, 29 May 2015 13:09)

    Ben Ahn rocked the house and brought the Spirit of Aloha to UC San Francisco for our Asian-Pacific American Celebration. We can't wait to bring him back to campus again!

  • #28

    Dave Jeffords (Gorilla Tornado Photography) (Sunday, 29 March 2015 15:31)

    I've had the luck of getting to see Ben play live on stage, and also work with him off the stage for photography. I can only describe him as friendly, warm, professional, and a genuine pleasure to be around. His music grips your soul and he lights up any room he's in.

  • #27

    Jerry "Nish" (Friday, 13 March 2015 14:12)

    Ben is a talented and fun musician. His music will have you stomping your feet or dancing! Check him out and you will agree.
    Aloha, Nish

  • #26

    Cindy Nguyen (Saturday, 07 March 2015 18:44)

    I had the big task of finding entertainment for this 4 day conference in Santa Clara for 400 guests. As a person working in the central coast and trying to find the right entertainment in the Bay Area, I can say it was a challenge. I was searching far and wide and I was lucky enough to discover Ben Ahn on YouTube. He was the perfect guy for me opening night reception. The crowd loved him, sang with him, danced with him, cheered with him, took selfies with him, and even fed him. Ben is such a down to earth guy and took song requests and definitely works the crowd. It was just what I needed from a performer to kick off this conference. The guests asked for his name and wrote such great evaluations for me about how well I did my job for entertainment. Ben is definitely the guy that is on top of his game and very professional when it comes to getting everything in order for a good show. He responds promptly to my emails and worked with the rest of my committee to make sure he was all set for his big day. Things with the conference were constantly changing and Ben was so patient and compliant. Great voice this guy has too! He even threw in some hip hop and r&b for us. LOVE him! Looking forward to working with him again.

  • #25

    Ali Bickel (Monday, 02 March 2015 16:51)

    Ben is FABULOUS! He played at a Hawaiian themed corporate event that my coworker planned. He totally set the mood for the entire event. He was early to set up, was super efficient and very flexible when they ended up asking him to stay late! He was a huge hit and was talked about the whole evening. Would work with Ben again in a heartbeat!

  • #24

    PPIE Uke-a-thon (Monday, 23 February 2015 18:24)

    As the organizer of the PPIE Centennial Uke-a-thon at the Palace of Fine Arts, I can't say enough great things about Ben. He is talented, charming, funny, and totally engaged an audience of more than 1,000 uke players. Over and over again I heard, "that guy is awesome"! Thanks so much Ben, you really helped make the event special!

  • #23

    Alysa Kim (Saturday, 21 February 2015 19:45)

    Just saw Ben play at PPIE's 100th at the Palace of Fine Arts. What talent and charm. Totally made my day. Mahalo.

  • #22

    Donna Brandt (Saturday, 08 November 2014 14:17)

    Ben's music makes a special occasion even more special. Thank you for braving the traffic to bless us at MPCC last night!

  • #21

    Natalie and Adam Leong (Friday, 07 November 2014 09:09)

    Ben played during our wedding ceremony and reception and he was amazing!!! My husband is from Hawaii and we were looking to bring some Hawiian feel to our Marin, CA wedding and Ben was perfect! All of our guests are still talking about how great he was. He plays such a variety of music that everyone loves. He even played Bob Marley for our first dance. Ben really helped to make our wedding unique and special and we highly recommend him. We are looking forward to going to see him play in the city soon.

  • #20

    Laura and Ryan (Thursday, 30 October 2014 18:30)

    After seeing Ben perform at various venues, we asked if he would perform for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. He was super friendly, easy going, accommodating of all our time changes and just overall such a pleasure to work with. Before I even walked down the aisle, his music had me tearing up. Throughout the whole evening and after the wedding we kept on having friends, family, coworkers coming up to us and telling us how much they loved Ben. He not only has a great voice and is super talented, but incredibly charismatic, friendly, and played music for everyone, including the Frozen song which he played for the very anxious flower girl (and totally made her day!). We're so happy and feel so lucky to have had Ben at the wedding - Ben, thanks again. I can't wait to see you perform again!

  • #19

    Kirsten & Max (Monday, 27 October 2014 20:35)

    I knew exactly what I wanted when I was looking for a ceremony and cocktails musician for our wine country wedding this October. I grew up in Hawaii and wanted to walk down the aisle to Iz's "somewhere over the rainbow" and then play a ton of fun contemporary Hawaiian tunes at cocktails - the kind of music my friends and I loved in high school. I discovered Ben after doing a little research online and at "local" bars in the Bay Area with live music. He fit the bill perfectly (we watched ALL of his YouTube videos multiple times) and we hired him on the spot- and then when we saw him play live in San Carlos there were several other couples there who had hired him for weddings so we knew he would know the drill! Ben was one of the elements I was most excited about for the wedding (in addition to spam musubi appetizers and malasadas for dessert ;)) and he did not disappoint. I can't even count how many people came up to me during and after the wedding to say how wonderful he was. My friends and family from Hawaii especially were obsessed! He added such a special touch to the day and more importantly was a pleasure to work with - so professional, warm and genuinely a great guy to match his talent. Our wedding planner loved working with him too. My only regret is that Max and I were so tied up during the event that we never got to pose for a picture with Ben and say thank you in person. I can't wait to get the video footage so we can listen to everything and re-live the magic. Ben you have fans in us for life and we can't wait for another chance to hire you. And we'll catch you at Pa'ina sometime soon for sure.
    Mahalo nui loa, K&M

  • #18

    Kim Mercado (Monday, 27 October 2014 11:26)

    I had the pleasure to work with Ben at the 4th Annual Yerba Buena Night which is a free outdoor, music, and arts festival in San Francisco. With over 40 acts on 5 main stages, I was excited to highlight Ben in the program. Not only was he pleasant and easy to work with, but his performance was a hit! I look forward to working with Ben on future events.

  • #17

    Evelyn & Terry Drew (Friday, 05 September 2014 17:44)

    We heard you play and lead a workshop in August during the Santa Cruz Ukulele Club meeting at Bocci's Cellar in Santa Cruz. We were so impressed and enjoyed it so much that tonight we are headed to Pono Grill in Santa Cruz to hear you again!! Every song you played received a roaring standing ovation from people who "get" music!! You are so gracious, and made us feel like we were the ones who made the event magic! We're glad that we can find upcoming concerts online! Please make some CDs!

  • #16

    Jay & Lonni (Wednesday, 20 August 2014 15:09)

    Aloha Ben. We miss you on Kauai. Understand you did played recently at the Hukilau Lanai on Kauai. Glad to see you are doing well in California.

  • #15

    Shennen & Marcus (Monday, 18 August 2014 01:11)

    Aloha Ben
    Thank you beyond words, for singing at our wedding in Stinson Beach. Our family adores you and we hope that we can book you on many upcoming family functions that we have. We also referred you to folks that heard you from the beach. They too were pleased with your entertainment and just like us, you have made their summer beach visit just as memorable.
    Dont be surprised if you see us randomly at one of your local events, smiling and cheering you on, all we will ask in return is one Bob Marley song... just one.

    Mahalo and Love,
    Shennen & Marcus

  • #14

    Alana (Sunday, 03 August 2014 17:24)

    Watching and listening right now at the Aloha Festiat. I am now a huge fan! Can't wait to see and hear more!

  • #13

    Marilyn Norberg (Friday, 25 July 2014 22:06)

    We heard Ben at Bocci's in Santa Cruz and were blown away by his musicianship , humor, and aloha spirit-come again , Ben!!

  • #12

    John and Ellen Stirling (Friday, 18 July 2014 00:39)

    Just heard Ben play for the first time in Santa Cruz. What an evening! Every type of music (OK, no polkas), performed and arranged to perfection by a gentle, humble, and funny guy. Mucho Mahalo!

  • #11

    Jennifer Avendano (Monday, 14 July 2014 13:35)

    I helped a friend coordinate her wedding day and Ben was the ceremony and cocktail hour musician. From the moment we met, he embraced me (Hawaiian thing? :) ) and was SO much fun! He was easy to work with, made my job enjoyable, and made everyone laugh and comfortable. Once he started playing though...everyone was SHOCKED how one man with one instrument can sound so full and beautiful. It was amazing. He played a variety of old school, R&B and other mixes. His voice is GOLD. I would definitely recommend Ben for any type of occasion. He is a special treat!

  • #10

    Stephanie C (Friday, 11 July 2014 15:53)

    Mahalo nui loa to Ben for the wonderful performance at Westfield San Francisco Centre! He did such a wonderful job engaging with the crowd, playing a wide variety of music and putting on a great show. Great energy, great talent and outstanding showmanship. We are sad that we only got to book him for one of our shows. HANA HOU!

  • #9

    Justin Bullock (Monday, 02 June 2014 15:32)

    I contacted Ben about playing a surprise set for my uncle's backyard pool party birthday. Ben was super easy to work with and the performance was incredible. He was the talk of the party and people were still talking about it at lunch the next day. He took requests, he played authentic Hawaiian music, and he even broke out a few songs from FROZEN that made the kids go nuts. Thank you, Ben, for creating a memory that will be cherished by my family. Can't wait to find an excuse to have you come play another party!

  • #8

    Sarah Knapp (Thursday, 29 May 2014 13:14)

    Ben was amazing and his love for what he does was evident when he performed for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. I requested him to sing Somewhere over the Rainbow when I walked down the aisle. He engaged with our guests who really enjoyed his diverse selection of music. Ben was always smiling and brought the added touch to our ceremony. Book him NOW for all your music needs!

  • #7

    Geoff & Helen Arms (Wednesday, 05 February 2014 13:21)

    We were fortunate to be able to see Ben at Duke's two years in a row (2011, 2012), didn't miss a show..! We are going back to Kauai and hoped to see him again, but found out he is now in the bay area. Maybe we'll take a trip up there to see him.
    As far as we are concerned he one of the greatest uke players ever..
    Good luck Ben.
    Geoff

  • #6

    Kristine & Errol (Monday, 13 January 2014 13:05)

    It's been a while since we made the long trek from Princeville to Kapaa, but we went to the Hukilau on Thursday and were so bummed that you weren't there! Selfish us. So glad you are in the city by the bay and enjoying your life! We will look for you when we go to Nor Cal!

  • #5

    Adam Poulsen (Saturday, 11 January 2014 04:48)

    Your music is international, I am a student in outback Australia and I love your music! I want a CD for my car!

  • #4

    shannon honda, HCCNC Board Member (Tuesday, 10 December 2013 18:30)

    Much mahalos goes out to Ben!
    A very polished professional artist who loves his craft and the fans that appreciate his music. Willing to go beyond the 100% to ensure his audience leaves with the warmth of Hawaii in their hearts.
    On behalf of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Northern California, we commend Ben Ahn for his gift of Aloha to the Bay Area Ohana.
    Great job!

  • #3

    Jaxen (Monday, 02 December 2013 22:12)

    We saw you perform at the Padre Hotel in Central California and knew we HAD to have you at our Wedding in Southern California. What an honor and privilege to share your talent with our friends and family. Thank you for playing a special part in one of the most important days of our lives!

  • #2

    Joe Luttwak (Wednesday, 13 November 2013 18:54)

    Ben- that was a wonderful session your recorded today with our Clara concert ukulele. I really look forward to working with you again soon!
    Mahalo!

  • #1

    Stacey Rennels (Wednesday, 24 July 2013 23:24)

    My husband and I found Ben on line and knew right away that he was exactly what we wanted to bring Hawaii to our luau here at home. Ben plays from the heart and can bring the crowd together with the strum of his ukulele. We found ourselves all singing along and dancing to not only our Hawaiian favorites but also contemporary hits that we requested. Ben is the kind of person you would want to entertain at your event but he is also the type of person you would want as your guest and friend. Truly awesome!