Once limited to Tiny Tim and golden age recordings of Hawaiian music, the ukulele has evolved into something quirky-cool.

That’s thanks, in part, to up-and-coming performers like Jake Shimabukuro, a self-proclaimed goodwill ambassador for the instrument and the aloha spirit who plays Stargazers Theatre and Event Center next Thursday.

“You don’t come to a ukulele concert and expect someone to jump out of their seat and yell, ‘Yeah, rock and roll!’” says Shimabukuro (she-ma-boo-koo-row), a Hawaii native. “That’s exactly what’s been happening.”

In concert, his fingers fly over the fret board in a blur. And his sound — from fierce picking of the strings reminiscent of a bluegrass sound to capturing the powerful crescendos of “Bohemian Rhapsody” — defies the easy, breezy ukulele of old.

His most recent album, “Peace Love Ukulele.” was well received, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard World Album Chart. From world tours to a documentary on his life, Shimabukuro leaves fans and critics impressed by his innovation.

Here, he talks about the culture of his music, the importance of its heritage and the audiences that leave amazed.

The Gazette:  How do you preserve reverence for the instrument’s history while still creating appeal to mainstream tastes?

Jake Shimakuburo: It’s not always easy. It was definitely a part of growing up. I started when I was four. When I was a kid, we would go to ukulele concerts and it was someone strumming and singing. That’s what we expected. We would play serious, traditional music. … It’s tough sometimes because there’s a fine line between being respectful to the tradition and taking it to the other extreme. … There’s still traditional Hawaiian music in my arrangements, even if I’m playing “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Gazette: You offer an unique musical POV. What is the audience’s response?

Shimabukuro: It’s pretty incredible. It might be just a ukulele, but at the same time, it creates the kind of energy that a rock concert can create. That’s the magic. … I think that more people now have been exposed to the instrument. They’ve been discovering it because others are using it too, like the band Train. They used it in the song “Soul Sister,” which is ukulele driven. That turned a lot of people on to the instrument. Same thing with guys like Eddie Vedder. When Eddie Vedder picks up a ukulele, it makes it cool. Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift — so many big artists are incorporating the ukulele into their music now.

Gazette: You started in the band Pure Heart. What’s it like going solo?

Shimabukuro: It was scary and still is. Going out on stage by myself is scary, but I love trying to make that personal connection to the audience. People have been very warm and welcoming to the music, and honestly, I think it’s because people have low expectations. They have an idea there’s just this guy sitting down and strumming a ukulele. It’s usually not. It’s been great playing these shows and hearing the feedback.

Gazette: How is the tour going?

Shimabukuro: Pretty incredible, definitely busy. I’ve started performing more in the U.S., but I was doing a lot in Japan. … I’ve been (in the) studio too, though. … We’re shooting for an October release. The last album had a lot of rhythm section arrangement and instrumental. This new one is set up to really capture the ukulele.

Gazette: Tell us a little about the recent documentary on your life.

Shimabukuro: Yes, that came out in March at the Asian American Film Festival. We’ve been working on it for two years now. It premiered in San Francisco, and, early next year it’s going to air on PBS, too. It’s just a documentary on me, my life and my career up until this point. The coolest thing is that as we were shooting, so many things started to develop. Things just started taking off, so we got a lot great stuff. Totally honored.