| World Musicians on Ryukyu Sound From London : A coordinator Fumiya Sawa reports on the power of Okinawan music in connection with the world-class pianist Michael Nyman and Talvin Singh, a central figure in the London club scene. Interview : Kazutoki Umezu, one of Japan's outstanding saxophone performers who has worked as a producer of Okinawan artists.
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| In the early 1980's Ryukyuan music was shown
to the world by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who taught
Ryukyuan music to Talvin and myself as well
as playfully showed us the link between American
folk songs and Irish songs. On the other hand Michael Nyman, who was hosted so graciously by Sadao China, had great difficulty coming up with a title song for the movie "Nabi-no-Koi". Finally, after working in collaboration with Seijin Noborikawa, he was able to complete a song in Okinawa. He says, "Just like American taxi drivers have guns on the dashboards of their cars, Okinawan taxi drivers seem to all have a Sanshin hidden around their cars." This is how he discovered that Okinawans really value music. According to Nyman the positive characteristics of Ryukyuan music are that it is energetic, open, and life affirming. "Look at Seigwa's (Noborikawa's nickname) throat muscles when he's singing, his attitude is very positive and accepting, even towards music that is different from what he knows, like Nyman's music. When we were finished he came out and enjoyed drinking and singing with us, people a third of his age. Nyman adds that while the instrument is very dry, there are points where it has powerful percussion and one should not forget the lovely melodies accompanied by the magical Sanshin. Notes: Michael Nyman Born in 1944 in London, England. He is active in a wide range of genres including a composer of chamber music, orchestral music, chorus music, opera, and dance music. He has been in charge of many screen music productions, including the 1993 hit movie "Piano Lesson." Mr. Nyman has had exchanges with Sadao China, the producer of the NeNes. He is the composer of the theme song from last year's explosive hit movie in Okinawa, "Nabi-no-Koi". Talvin Singh Mr. Singh is an artist who is at the nucleus of the vigorous and lively Asian club scene in the U.K. As a Tabla performer he is expanding development of drumming based music for the new era. Last year the collaborative effort with the NeNes resulted in a strong band that walked away with the Grand Prize at the Mercury Music Prize. Mercury Music Prize Held annually for CDs released within the year in England and Ireland and covering many genres including Contemporary, Folk, Pop, and Dance. Twelve recordings are nominated and the Grand Prize is awarded to the top selection. Fumiya Sawa Mr. Sawa has lived in England for 16 years and is a native of Hyogo, Japan. He travels on production trips with artists and musicians. Mr. Sawa came to Okinawa with Talvin Singh and Nyman and is engaged as a producer of music. Mr. Sawa is currently working with Ryuichi Sakamoto.
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"Daiku said wanted to cover some Jinta and older songs. So I thought it would be great if we added Chindon-ya, a kind of old style commercial jingle that people would dress up and sing on the streets as advertisements. The music was what Daiku had sung as a child, I was unexpectedly delighted." Deepening his relationships with various Okinawan singers, he also actively went out and played in street events and concerts in the public market areas of Naha. " When I would play on the streets, the people who came to listen received us really warmly. After a concert, when we went out to eat, many of the people around wound tell us how they appreciated it. This kind of thing makes me really happy. There were no walls between the musicians and the audience." In his album "Okinawa Hobo" released in 1996, the street feeling of Okinawa vitalizes the album because it was recorded in town, on the seacoasts, and in the drinking establishments of Okinawa. It was a recording of improvisations made in many different places. "Thought it would be good to make a sort of documentary of things in Okinawa. The reason why I wanted to do it in Okinawa was because of I feel all the varied natural environments here became part of me. It wasn't just the people but also I felt the spirit here gave me various influences. I feel this was because of what Okinawa is. Okinawa was closest to my intuition. Okinawan music made Umezu united with the towns and the natural environment. "First of all, Okinawan music is one with nature. Humans and nature integrate in a pleasing way, in the homes, outside, by the seacoasts, there is expansiveness here. With most music, the music selects the place, but with Okinawan music, you can't choose the place. Wherever one goes is good, there is an expansiveness." In recognizing the appeal of Okinawan music, he says he can't think of aiming to fuse his own music with that of Okinawan music. "From Okinawan music I learned that the towns and the natural environment can become one, and I feel that it taught me to open my eyes to music. Therefore, rather than simply say I took up Okinawan music, I think that just like the Klezmer and Jazz music I play I bring it with me." He has brought his music to perform in over 30 countries around the world. This spring he will be leaving to perform in Morocco. A unity of nature and people, he will no doubt show in other lands the inspiration he received from Okinawan music. Kazutoki Umezu A world class alto saxophone and clarinet performer, as well as a composer, an arranger and a producer. Born in 1949 in Hyogo Prefecture. Debuted during his studies at National Music University. In 1981, he founded "DUB" (Doctor Umezu Band) and for 7 years toured mostly Japan and Europe to great acclaim. Aside from Jazz he has been active moving in various fields including in Rock, Blues, Folk, Japanese music, and as a producer of Tetsuhiro Daikus Okinawan Shimauta music. |
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