The island chain of Okinawa is one of the musical places on earth, with the current scene filled will bands in all possible genres, but the foundation of the Okinawan music scene are the artists presented here today by John Potter, foremost expert on Okinawan music in the English language.
Kicking off with Choki Fukuhara, who began recording and releasing albums on his Marufuku label in the late 1940s and was also a singer and musician. It’s followed by the original 1962 recording of Misako Oshiro’s hit ‘Kataumui’ a song written for her by Teihan China (Sadao China’s father) who is also featured later in the playlist.
Four especially important artists appear more than once. They are Rinsho Kadekaru, Shouei Kina, Yuki Yamazato, and Misako Oshiro. These four are generally regarded as the most important of the male and female traditional singers from Okinawa, and in fact, Yuki Yamazato is still performing well into her 80s.
The mix ends with a track by Kame Itokazu (b. 1915) who formed her own school of song and dance and was one of the earliest recorded women singers in Okinawa.
1. Choki Fukuhara ‘Yutakara Bushi’
2. Misako Oshiro ‘Kataumui’
3. Rinsho Kadekaru with Shuei Kohama ‘Tomaitakahashi Bushi~Umi Chinbora Bushi’
4. Koutoku Tsuha ‘Nanyo Hamachidori Bushi’
5. Yuki Yamazato ‘Motobu Nakuni~Kaisare’
6. Shouei Kina ‘Kayoibune’
7. Hiromi Shiroma ‘Chibumi’
8. Seijin Noborikawa ‘Hiyamikachi Bushi’
9. Rinsuke Teruya ‘Nenju Gyoji Kuduchi’
10. Yuki Yamazato with Shouei Kina, Teihan China, Tsuneo Fukuhara ‘Kui nu Hana’
11. Rinsho Kadekaru ‘Jidai no Nagare’
12. Hoptones ‘Hei Niseta’
13. Misako Oshiro ‘Sagichijuya’
14. Shouei Kina ‘Sah Sah Bushi’
15. Minoru Kinjo & Yuki Yamazato ‘Boshi Kuma’
16. Teihan China ‘Nageki no Ume’
17. Four Sisters ‘Shimajimakaisha’
18. Shotoku Yamauchi ‘Nakunigwa~Timatu
19. Kame Itokazu ‘Amisuku Bushi’
以前沖縄の音楽を紹介してくれたジョン・ポッターさんによるミックスです。
今回は、沖縄の南西に位置する先島諸島の音楽にフォーカスしたミックスを作ってくれました。石垣市出身で、八重山を代表する民謡歌手の一人、山里 勇吉の曲や、彼を師匠とする同じく石垣出身の大工哲弘の曲などすべて先島諸島出身者による音源が集っています。島々で最もよく知られている伝統的な曲から現代の曲まで、とても多様なテーマが綴られた貴重なセレクトです 。
- JOHN POTTER – The Power of Okinawa website
