Joint album by one of Okinawa's greatest ever female singers Misako Oshiro with one of the brightest young stars and her student, Kanako Horiuchi. Horiuchi, originally from Hokkaido, used to work in Tokyo and moved to Okinawa eleven years ago to study with Oshiro. They sing Okinawan minyo in duet form and include two newly written songs specially for this album, track 6 by Toru Yonaha and track 13 by Hirokazu Matsuda.

Collection of dance songs from Okinawa. These include most famously, katcharsee, but also rokucho from the Yaeyama islands, kuicha from Miyako and butoh, traditional dance also found in Japan. Good performances of some of Okinawa's most famous tunes. 13 tracks.

Album of Okinawan celebration songs such as for new year, weddings, birthdays etc..performed by excellent singers backed by large traditional music groups. 16 tracks.

One of the greatest elder singers, Misako Oshiro teams up with one of the best young singers and musicians, Toru Yonaha. Traditional fare, sanshin, Oshiro's superb voice on most tracks in duet with Yonaha. 14 tracks including two bonus live ones.

Kumiodori is an Okinawan theatrical performance, much like the more famous Japanese noh and kabuki. The story is related using lyrics, music and dance, and was created by Chokun Tamagusuku (1684-1734). It was created in order to entertain visiting Chinese envoys during the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom. About 70 masterpieces remain, although its surivival is somewhat threatened as most of the performers are now in their 60s and 70s, with not too many young people showing an interest today. This is a rare CD of an exquisite tradition.

Fascinating CD of uzagaku, the gagaku music of the Ryukyu Kingdom era. Over 100 years ago, uzagaku was performed during formal court celebrations at Shuri castle. It was often played when special envoys were visiting from China, and derived from Chinese music. After the Ryukyu Kingdom was abolished and Okinawa became a part of Japan in 1879, uzagaku became almost extinct. Now, nine tunes have been revived by the group of artists called 'Uzagaku Fukugen Enso Kenkyu-kai' in Okinawa and the instruments have been restored. Those instruments include string instruments such as sangen, niko (erhu), yongen, biwa, yonko, gekkin, flutes such as yokobue and percussion such as doram sanba. While the style of singing has also been replicated.

Four Sisters (they are real sisters) were one of the first female vocal quartets, a format later used by Nenes and others. This fantastic CD is 16 tracks of some of the great traditional minyo songs.

Deigo Musume was a sisters chorus group who shared the limelight with the similar Four Sisters from the 1970's. Both groups are kind of forerunners to the later Nenes. On this compilation album they sing traditional masterpieces, including an anti war song written by their father, the album conveying the post war spirit in Okinawa. Rinsho Kadekaru plays sanshin on one song.

Another female chorus group formed in 1993. One of their songs 'Yui Yui' written by Sadao China of Nenes fame, became popular after it became the theme for a children's TV programme.

Like Nenes but more traditional and with six female singers. Yui Yui Sisters celebrate their 10 year aniversary with a new album that includes their own material, 'Warabi No Kuichaa' and some of Okinawa's best known songs, 'Shimajima Kaisha', 'Asadoya Yunta' 'Basho-Fu' and 'Manshuku Bushi'.Great stuff.

From Yaeyama, Tetsuhiro Daiku has one of Okinawa's most distinctive voices. On this CD he is joined by his wife, also an excellent singer on an album of standard minyo folk songs from Yaeyama.

Okinawa's greatest traditioanal musician, joins up with Okinawa's finest eisa drumming group, Sonda Eisa for a truly exceptional album. Recorded in the 1980s, including a live track. Bubbling over with the atmosphere of Okinawa.

Thirteen tracks of Okinawan Eisa drumming, the spectacular and colourful festival drumming tradition.

Excellent, if short, CD of Eisa drumming.