 | SHIMOBUKU RECORD Looking South West
Price: £19.99 (Reference #FSD4965)Shimobuku Rekodo are Begin's Masaru Shimabukuro and Isamu Shimoji, a sort of dream duo of Okinawan acoustic guitar singer/songwriters. Bluesy, folky, acoustic and electric guitars with drum, bass, piano accompaniment and some Okinawan style backing vocals. Includes a version of Like a Rolling Stone. 12 tracks. 1. Sakijima Mesen 2. Come Back Jerry!! 3. Shukai Okure no Runner 4. Vitamin I 5. Uchu no Kuuki 6. Like a Rolling Stone 7. Umi ni Kieta Rojin 8. Ashita no Kaze wa Ashita Fuku 9. Akican 10. Oyasumi no Uta 11. Shiawase no Shiwayose 12. Joto Steak
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ALL JAPAN GOITH Agoo Road (Reference #FSD4868)All Japan Goith are an eight piece band from Okinawa, on various horns including trumpet, trombone and saxophone with a vocalist, guitarist and bassist. They play mostly well known Okinawan folk songs, plus pop and their own original songs in a ska, dub and reggae style. 1. Arigatosan 2. Haisai Ojisan - Crazy Kachasee 3. Flower Gutzman 4. Akata Sundunchi - Tinsagu nu Hana 5. The Days of Drink and Ska! - Sake to Ska no Hibi 6. Hanasaka Jiisan 7. Shimanchu nu Takara - Koishikute 8. Utage no Uta 9. Katate ni Sanshin o 10. Cecil 11. Koi no Dial 6700 12. Every 13. Otsukisama ga Warattera 14. Yume no Hana (remix)
Price: £19.99 |  | |
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 | DRAGONFLY Island Dreams
Price: £14.99 (Reference #FSD4108)Dragonfly are Aiko Shimada (vocals and guitar) Elizabeth Falconer (koto) and Mako (sanshin, vocals and ukulele). On this album they play Okinawa, Japanese and Hawaiian traditional tunes. Interesting mix of instruments beautifully performed and superbly sung by Aiko and Mako. 13 tracks. Tinsagu nu Hana (Balsam Flowers), Pupu Hinuhinu (Shiny Shell Lullaby), Mahalo, Warabi Gami (Blessings from Heaven), Tsukinu Kaisha (Ocean Moon), Tanabata no Uta (Song of the Star Festival), Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani (My Flowers at Paoakalani), Migumi (One), When Pueo Flies, Akata Sundunchi (My Heart, My Home), Kojo no Tsuki (Moonlit Castle Reflections), Hatachi Miyarabi (Youthful Beauty), Dreaming-Yume.
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 | TAKASHI HIRAYASU & CHUEI YOSHIKAWA Utoashibi
Price: £23.99 (Reference #FSD1601)Okinawa's Takashi Hirayasu has already proved himself a master musician in collaborating with musicians from around the world. These include on record, two acclaimed albums with American guitarist Bob Brozman, while in concert Hirayasu has played with musicians from Guinea, (West Africa), La Reuinion (Indian Ocean island), India, Cuba and elsewhere. Hirayasu's latest recording and live partner is one of Japan's finest acoustic guitar players Yoshikawa Chuei. Chuei adds a dazzling array of acoutic textures including National steel guitar, Dobro guitar, banjo, mandolin and ukulele to the Okinawan sanshin (3 stringed lute) of Hirayasu to perform some of Okinawa's best loved songs.

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RINKEN BAND Shimajyu Shichigwachi - Rinken Band Eisa Special (Reference #FSD1728)Rinken Band re-record all their best known "Eisa" songs. So, there's plenty of drumming, and chants of "Haieeeya, Haieeeyah, Haieeeya Sah Sah". With just sanshin, drumming and vocals, and without the curse of the synthesizer on some of the originals, Rinken Band have never sounded better. Eisa is the summer festival in Okinawa, where dancers and drummers take to the streets, egged on by the incessant chant of the crowd. Uniquely Okinawan, vibrant, a living, evolving tradition, and this CD gives you a real taste.
Price: £23.99 |  | |
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 | TORU YONAHA Uchina Warabeuta
Price: £23.99 (Reference #FSD2725)Toru Yonaha is one of Okinawa's fast rising stars on the traditional music scene as a session player, producer and an artist in his own right. Following his kacharsee (dance) tunes album, this is an album of Warabeuta (children's songs and lullabies). Songs include old classics such as Ita Anma Makaiga, Tinsagu nu Hana, Akata Sundunchi and Chinukujushi and modern classics such as Warabi Gami. Mostly sung in female vocal unison by Mika Uchizato, Natsuki Nakamura and Ayano Uema. This album sometimes recalls early Nenes, but with a more simple instrumentation of sanshin, percussion, flute and piano. Excellent. 
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TORU YONAHA, KATSUSHI ARAKAKI, KAZUNARI UECHI Sangosho Best (Reference #FSD3101)The workaholic sanshin player Toru Yonaha is joined by Kazunari Uechi (ex-Rinken Band) producer and arranger Katsushi Arakaki on an album of instrumentals of famous tunes. Among the 16 tracks are Shimauta, Nada Sousou, Shimanchu Nu Takara, Hana, Warabigami, Haisai Ojisan, Asadoya Yunta, Irayoi Tsukihama, Heiwa No Ryuka, Bye Bye Okinawa, Juku No Haru, Arigato and Tinsagu Nu Hana.
Price: £21.99 |  | |
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CHURAMANA Rakuen no Niji (Reference #FSD3485)Mixture of Hawaiian and Okinawan songs, featuring singers Maki Uehara (also of Hawaiiana) and Makico Miyara plus Gerhen Oshima (also Tingara) and the omni-present Yuki Yamauchi. Second album 12 tracks including Aloha Oe, Pua Mae 'ole from Hawaii and Okinawan classics Hana and Asadoya Yunta.
Price: £23.99
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 | SYAKARI Kotoba no Kawarini
Price: £22.99 (Reference #FSD3445)Re-release from 1999 from Syakari, the Okinawan pop group made up of female singer Chiaki (ex-Diamantes) ex-Rinken Band member Kazumari Uechi on sanshin and percussion and guitarist Masaru Kadekaru. 12 tracks.
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SHISARS Ta Hua Gu (Reference #FSD1600)From Japan, Shisars and their 'sister' group An-Chang Project, release albums only sporadically, but boy, are they worth waiting for. This latest offering from Shisars just about surpasses the lot in its boldness and radical treatment of traditional Okinawan and Japanese tunes. It all starts off ordinarily enough, with just sanshin (lute) the kokyu (fiddle) playing low and high drones with the trademark harmony voices of female singers Yoshie and Akemi gliding over the top. By the second tune, Mr Insuke, that kicks off with African sounding percussion and guitar picking, yet a distinct Asian melody and vocals that gradually speeds up to a wanton frenzy, any sense of ordinariness has long gone out the window. What follows ranges from more plaintive, simple ballads to an outrageous punk version of what was originally a sweet lullaby, more discordant fiddles, wailing clarinet from Cicala Mvta's Wataru Ohkuma and grunge like electric guitar. At just over 30 minutes, the CD is decidedly short but packs so much in it leaves you exhausted. (From fRoots magazine) 
Price: £23.99 |  | |
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BEGIN 3 LDK (Reference #FSD4986)First album for two years from the highly popular Ishigaki island trio. Catchy tunes on guitars, percussion, piano, with a bluesy, folky feel. 1. Egao no Manma (Begin with Ahona Stars) 2. Aishiteru 3. Panama-bon o Kabutte 4. Koza 5. Waratte Boku o Yurushite 6. Palaka 7. Stand by Me ga Kikoeru 8. Ashita no Asa Niwa 9. Higuremichi 10. Home Sick Blues 11. Ichari Baohana
Price: £21.99 |  | |
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