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Kaisaree
by Rinsho Kadekaru
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
B/C RECORD
Rinsho Kadekaru (1920-1999)
Okinawan folk musician and singer. Called
the god of Shimauta folk music, one of the
rare vocal geniuses. His unique intonation
called Kadikaru-bushi expresses true warmth
for life. The subject of countless legends
and anecdotes, this free-spirited musician
passed away last year to the great loss of
his many fans. This luxurious three CD set
features studio and live venue recordings.
 (2.5MB)
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Otaya-Bushi
by Yukichi Yamazato
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
B/C RECORD
Yukichi Yamazato (Born 1925)
Okinawan folk singer called the
greatest
master of Yaeyama Island and
Okinawan folk
songs. The swelling and beautiful
Tubarama
genre, of which Yamazato is a
master, brings
on the feelings and atmosphere
of the islands
of Yaeyama. This CD is interesting
in that
even though the same songs are
repeated,
they are sung differently according
to their
place of origin.
(1.9MB)
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Naakunii, Hantabaru
by Sadao China
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
Sadao China (Born 1945)
Okinawan folk musician, producer,
composer
/ arranger, the most prominent
person in
the Okinawan folk scene today.
Famous for
creating the group the NeNes,
he has been
on stage since he was young and
is a first-rate
musician himself. With the aim
of passing
on Okinawa's folk music, he established
the
Teigenkai Association and, as
its head, is
devoting himself to guiding the
next generation
of artists.
(3.4MB)
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Tunbaru, Naakuni
by Koutoku Tsuha
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
Abaser Records
Kotoku Tsuha (Born 1927)
Okinawan folk musician and singer.
His father
was a teacher in the Nomura style
of Ryukyuan
classical music, so from an early
age he
played Sanshin and was brought
up in an environment
rich in music. A famous Sanshin
player, he
is the legitimate successor to
the legendary
singer Seiryu Tomihara's "Tomihara
Nakuni."
Mr. Tsuha is President of the
Ryukyu Folk
Music Preservation Society and
head of the
Kogenkai Association.
(4.1MB)
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Asadoya Yunta
by Tetsuhiro Daiku
lyrics:Yaeyama folk song
arrangement:Choho Miyara
World Music Network
Tetsuhiro Daiku (Born 1948)
While working in City Hall he
has released
four recordings and had nationwide
concert
tours. It is difficult to say
he is an amateur.
Not only singing traditional
Yaeyama folk
music accompanied by his Sanshin,
but also
sitting in on sessions and playing
diverse
music such as Jazz he has created
a revolutionary
sound.
(3.0MB)
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Ume no Kaori
by Kouei Tsuha
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
Nnarufon Record
Koei Tsuha (Born 1952)
He is an Okinawan folk musician
and famous
Sanshin player as well as the
most prominent
folk guitar player in Okinawa.
He has established
his own distinctive kind of sound.
This CD
includes his long-seller "Asaji
Kunji"
and is his long-awaited first
collection
of recordings together on one
album.
(2.5MB)
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Secchaa-gua`Tomari-Takahashi
by Misako Oshiro
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
Abaser Records
Misako Oshiro (Born 1936)
Okinawan folk musician whose beautiful silky
voice is so charming she has been called
the queen of Okinawan folk music. Her teacher,
the great Rinsho Kadekaru, has commented
that Ms. Oshiro alone is the successor to
the ancient vocal styles. Her authenticity
shines fully in her music.
(2.7MB)
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Yoron Kouta
by Wataru Takada & Keiko Kinjo
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
B/C RECORD
Wataru Takada
Blues singer who came into contact with Okinawa
through her attraction to songs from Okinawa's
leading poet Baku Yamnoguchi.
Keiko Kinjo
Okinawan folk singer whose distinctive
whispered
vocal style on her debut recording
was a
big hit. She has brought a fresh
breeze into
Okinawan folk music.
(2.5MB)
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Arigato
by Rinken Band
lyrics:Rinken Teruya
music:Rinken Teruya
Sony Records
Rinken Band (formed 1977)
Their Okinawan based pop music
with its pleasant
melodies has started an Okinawan
whirlwind
through the whole of Japan. They
have become
the standard among folk musicians
in Okinawa.
Tomoko Uehara's vocal strength,
cultivated
from an early age, deserves special
mention
as well.
(1.7MB)
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Kata Yabira
by NeNes
lyrics:Sadao China
music:Sadao China
NeNes (Founded in 1990, reorganized with
new members starting in 2000)
Female vocal group produced by
Sadao China.
The fresh sound of their harmonies,
sung
with such unison, have left their
impression
around the world, including Europe
and other
foreign countries. The second
generation
of members has started the band's
activities
anew.
(2.3MB)
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Nachi-nu-yu
by Parsha cluB
lyrics:Kazuhiro Shinjo
music:Uechi Masaaki
independent
Pasha Club (Formed in 1994)
This popular group has brought
a modern band
sound to the folk songs of Yaeyama.
Their
stage show is happy and bright
thanks to
the inspired vocals of Yukito
Ara. This group
provides proof of the vitality
of Okinawa's
folk music as it is passed on
to the next
generation of artists.
(3.3MB)
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Tsuki-Akari
by Hidekatsu
lyrics:Nanji Hanafubuki
music:Hidekatsu
independent
Hidekatsu
This musician cannot be boxed
in by nationalities
as his music has a message for
the whole
world. His debut was a private
release but
nonetheless spread and became
a big hit .
The songs have become a standard
for use
in Eisa folk dancing.
(3.6MB)
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Kotoba no Kawari ni
by Shakari
lyrics:Chiaki
music:Kazunari Uechi
ajima
Shakari (Formed in 1998)
A group based around former Diamantes
chorus
singer Chiaki and guitarist Kadekaru
that
performs Okinawan folk based
popular music.
Chiaki's warm, clear vocals sing
refreshing
songs of Okinawa. Gentle lyrics
and overflowing
melodies heal listener's hearts.
(3.4MB)
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Yuiyui
by Yui Yui Sisters
lyrics:Hideo Sakata/Naohiko Uehara
music:Sadao China
Nnarufon Record
Yui Yui Sisters (Formed in 1997)
Okinawan folk group whose song
"Yui
Yui" was used on a children's
TV program
and has become a big hit. At
the time of
their first hit leader Mayumi
Yamakawa was
a high school student. Their
stage appearances
are bright and cheerful affairs.
(2.3MB)
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Toshin Doi
by KENJI YANO
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
QWOTHCEE RECORDS
The Surf Chanpurazu
This group features bold arrangements
of
Okinawan folk music done by Kenji
Yano. It
has a novel sound created by
the folk arrangements
done in a guitar based instrumental
surf
music style. The ethnic sounds
of Hawaii
and Jamaica lend a great flavor
to Okinawan
folk music.
(4.0MB)
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Tinsagu nu Hana
by Sachiko Shima
lyrics:unknown
music:unknown
QWOTHCEE RECORDS
Sachiko Shima
Sachiko Shima has brought the Caribbean and
Hawaiian sound to Okinawan folk favorites
such as "Tinsagu nu Hana," "Asatoya
Yunta" and "Mimura Bushi"
and have created a new kind of resort music.
The music beckons listeners to sounds of
waves and a world of ease.
(4.2MB)
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FAREWELL TO ARMS/Buki yo Saraba
by Murasaki
lyrics:George Murasaki
music:George Murasaki
live recordings
Murasaki
Okinawa's premier rock group.
With an authentic
hard rock sound they have incorporated
Ryukyuan
melodies based on the Ryukyuan
pentatnoic
scale and the throbbing rhythms
of the ethnic
Eisa drums and utilized compositional
techniques
of Western classical music. By
attempting
to fuse the elements of these
three contrasting
styles of music -- rock, classical,
and ethnic
Ryukyuan music, Murasaki was
way ahead of
its time in the 1970s. The song
"Farewell
to Arms" is a genuine rocker
and does
not feature the Ryukyuan scale,
but, as the
title implies, it is a message
about love
and peace that Okinawa wants
to convey to
the whole world.
(5.1MB)
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1991cNatsu(1991cSummer)
by Rollie
lyrics:Rollie
music:Rollie
LOVE RECORDS
Rollie (Born 1963)
This singer-songwriter debuted
with a band
singing in Okinawan dialect and
has acquired
solid popularity. After the band
by the same
name ceased working he put out
a solo album.
Over 20 musicians active on the
local scene
contributed to the album with
songs ranging
from hard rock to acoustic styles.
(2.8MB)
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Karipuso(Calypso)-Chan
by DONT
lyrics:DONT
music:DONT
Goma Records
Donto (1962-2000)
Having a career as a popular
rock vocalist
he suddenly moved to Okinawa.
Having made
CDs in his house, he toured throughout
Japan
and gave hope to many Okinawan
musicians
for the style of music they could
send out
from Okinawa. Having toured Okinawan
folk
music pubs with the 8-beat Sanshin
artist
Genchan, the local musicians
considered him
to be Okinawan in heart and soul.
His sudden
death this year is mourned by
all of his
fans.
(980KB)
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Hajimemashite~Konnichiwa
by NOSE WATER
lyrics:NOSE WATER
music:NOSE WATER
independent
Nose Water (Founded in 1991)
A rock group made up of four
natives of Ishigaki-jima
Island. The band was based in
Tokyo but have
recently been performing monthly
gigs at
live music pubs in Okinawa. The
group incorporates
some of the taste of Okinawa
and is known
for their free expression.
(2.9MB)
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Kaiwa(Conversation)
by Yutaka Sadoyama
lyrics:Baku Yamanokuchi
music:Wataru Takada
B/C RECORD
Yutaka Sadoyama (Born 1950)
As a folk singer in the late
60's and early
70's, his charisma influenced
countless artists
through his sharp sense of the
times. He
had been out of the music scene
for nearly
20 years until recently, when
he became active
again. His single-minded attention
to the
times moved the hearts of many
of his fans.
–This album is dedicated to the poet Baku
Yamanoguchi. The participating artists are
Wataru Takada, Rinji Kadekaru, Kantaro Uchida
and others.
(2.8MB)
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Tinsagu nu Hana
by ACOUSTIC M
lyrics:unknown, translation:Masumi
music:unknown
natural MUSIC
Acoustic M (Formed in 1998)
The duo of Masumi Chinen, with her powerful
vocal scale, and the acoustic guitar sound
create a gentle and mild atmosphere for their
music.
(1.4MB)
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Nanda Wake?
by KATSUJI
lyrics:Katsuji Ishigaki
music:Kantaro Ishigaki
Nnarufon Record
Katsuji Ishigaki
Blues singer whose feeling for
the blues
blows like a wind from his spirit.
This CD
shows the real face of this introspective
artist with his deeply tasteful
blues and
great passion.
(3.1MB)
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The TOBARAMA
by Paul Ishigaki
music:unknown
Paul Ishigaki Office
Paul Ishigaki (Born 1942)
Having played tenor sax at a
school music
festival gave this bandman the
opportunity
to open his eyes to music. His
music is mostly
in the popular music area. This
CD features
arrangements of Okinawan folk
music done
jazz style. The beauty of the
Tubarama folk
genre is well represented in
this album.
(3.3MB)
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Tonton Mi Blues
by YARA FUMIO QUARTET LIVE
lyrics:
music:Fumio Yara
Jean Jean
Fumio Yara (Born 1939)
A jazz pianist, Yara started
music in high
school as a clarinet player in
the brass
band. Watching his older classmates
created
a desire to become a band man.
Not receiving
an invitation to play with his
seniors at
school, he began playing piano.
Three years
later he was employed as a pianist
at the
Officer's Club on the U.S. military
bases.
In 1978 he spent a year performing
in jazz
clubs in Los Angeles and started
one of his
own after his return to Okinawa.
From this
base his activities are broadening.
(5.4MB)
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Daidai
by amana
lyrics:amana
music:amana
LAKSHMI RECORDS
Amana (Formed in 1998)
The members met in Okinawa and
the group
was a natural evolution of their
meeting.
The word Amana refers to the
most fundamental
life energy of women. Currently
they incorporate
elements from Africa and India
in their life
energy music. The foundation
of their music
is the bass and the music is
overflowing
with the life energy of women.
While created
in Okinawa, it is fundamental
to music throughout
the world.
(4.8MB)
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