Nagauta is the music most commonly assocaited with kabuki theatre. As kabuki developed the dances and musical accompaniment became longer, leading to nagauta or 'long song'. Ijuro Yoshimura comes from a long line of nagauta performers and is generally considered as one of the genre's greatest exponents.

Whereas nagauta is associated with Tokyo and kabuki, gidayu, another narrative shamisen music, was founded in the bustling commercial centre of Osaka and created the bunraku (puppet theatre) tradition. Gidayu is especially distinguished by its singing. At a bunraku performance the singer (tayu) demonstrates an enormous range of expression, it is said instilling life into the wooden puppets. It is considered to be one of the most difficult Japanese art forms, and Toyotake Yamashiro no Shojo has been designated a Living National Treasure for his mastery in gidayu.


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Tokiwazu is another form of narrative shamisen music often performed in kabuki. The vocal style is less intense and the shamisen less percussive. The shamisen instrument itself also differs in that the neck and plectrum are thinner, although the tone is still quite heavy. Founded by Tokiwazu Mojidayu (1709-1781), Tokiwazu Ichihadayu helped to further the develop the tradition, although does not belong to an artistic dynasty himself. He is renowned for his fantastic singing and as well as shamisen playing.

Kiyomoto, is a shamisen style half way between lyrical and narrative founded by Kiyomoto Enjudayu around 1815. The voice is characteristically high with a falsetto tone. The tunings are higher, the plectrum and bridge are thinner, and it is generally less percussive than other styles. It is used particularly during love scenes in kabuki. The living national treasure performing on this CD is Kiyomoto Shizudayu.


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Fujii Kunie embodies everything that a Living National Treasure should. She has been performing jiuta (early shamisen music) for over 50 years, is the daughter of the great Keiko Abe, studied under Michiyo Miyagi and has taken jiuta music around the world.

Reibo Aoki is one of the shakuhachi greats, as was his father, the first Reibo Aoki. He is known for his powerful sound and perfect technique. Kinko is a school of shakuhachi founded in Tokyo, derived from the Kyoto komoso monks. Musicality is of utmost importance and the pieces, limited to about 36 honkyoku (original solo) and several gaikyoku (ensemble) pieces are technically demanding.


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Hozan Yamamoto is not only one of the great players of the Tozan school of shakuhachi but an innovator who has played with jazz greats and musicians around the world. The Tozan school was founded by Nakao Tozan (1876-1956). The repertory consists of honkyoku some composed by Tozan and ensemble pieces with jiuta shamisen and Ikuta style koto.

The tsuzumi is an hourglass shaped drum used in kagura, kabuki, noh and other forms of traditional and folk music. Kisaku Katada is one of the all time masters.


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An album of Okinawan classical court music performed by two living national treasures. Quite different to traditional folk songs, measured and stately. 13 tracks.

A CD of mainly nagauta (long song) shamisen. 8 tracks.


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Yokyoku is the singing of noh. The style is one of the most special, sung deeply from the stomach, with vibrato and grace notes added in a very deliberate delivery. Noh singing has its origins in Buddhist chanting, and retains the solemnity and introspection of religious forms of music. Shizue Kanze is one of the great masters from the Kanze school of noh.

The narrative shamisen genre particularly associated with bunraku, or puppet theatre. The style was founded by Takemoto Gidayu, and thus Takemoto is one of the great names of gidayubushi.

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Founded during the Edo period by Kengyo Yamada, Yamada is one of the major schools of koto performing sokyoku (koto music). Chikuzen biwa is one of the smaller biwa instruments, the music incorporating features of other biwa styles plus narrative shamisen music and gidayubushi (puppet plays).

Originally, jiuta was a shamisen genre, but later applied to koto as well, as on this CD. Hatsuko Kikuhara is one of the legend's of Japanese traditional music. Born in 1899, she died in 2001, and continued performing until she was 102. 4 tracks.


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Superb album of classical Ryukyuan dance music. Music that accompanies dances of the Noro (priestess) hands and bodies are waved, praying for prosperity and longevity. Tokutaro Shiroma and Noho Miyagi are two of the greatest performers of Ryukyuan performing arts, having had a lifetime of study and performing not only in Japan but around the world.

Gidayu is a style of shamisen and chanting developed by Gidayu Takemoto (1651-1714) with texts written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu (1653-1724). Gidayu is especially associated with the Kansai region of Kyoto and Osaka. Gidayu plays are acted by puppets, the narrator taking on all the roles and describing the scenes and emotions of the characters. Many of the plays were adapted for kabuki. This CD and subsequent titles feature the great narrator and Living National Treasure Tsunadayu Takemoto IX accompanied by another master musician on shamisen, Seiji Tsuruzawa. On this album are two scenes, 'Tenmaya no Dan' and 'Michiyuki Tenjinmori no Dan' from the famous 'Sonezaki Shinju' written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu.


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Tsunadayu Takemoto IX (narrator) and Seiji Tsuruzawa (shamisen) perform the scene 'Kikaigajima no Dan' from the masterpiece 'Heike Nyono no Shima' written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu.

The scene 'Fuingiri no Dan' from the well known text 'Meido no Hikyaku' written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu is performed by Living National Treasure Tsunudayu Takemoto IX and Seiji Tsuruzawa.


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Tsunadayu Takemoto IX and Seiji Tsuruzawa perform the scene 'Somon no Dan' from 'Kokusen Yakkasen' and 'Orochi' from 'Nihon Furisode Hajime' written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu.

The scene 'Takenaka Toride no Dan' form 'Konoshita Kage Hazama Gassen' in a live performance. This one with narrator and Living National Treasure Tsunadayu Takemoto IX and shamisen by Seiji Tsuruzawa.


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