Part 2 of 'Have a Big Bite of Japanese Minyo 100'. 100 minyo songs from Hokkaido in the far north to Okinawa in the far south. All traditional performances, superb recording. A great document of Japanese folk music.
Tokyo might well be Japan's largest metropolis, but within its communitries are some minyo or folk songs that still survive. Six tracks of Tokyo minyo that proves folk is not just the domain of country villages. Price: £13.99
The early Showa period from the beginning of the 1920s was a very productive time for minyo. Many new minyo songs were written during this time by well known composers and poets, many of which are the standard songs of today. This album compiles those original minyo recordings, some originally released on SP (78s).
1. Kosho Matsumoto / Funekogi Nagashi Uta 2. Motoharu Sasaki / Tokachi Umauta 3. Unchiku Narita, Chikuzan Takahashi (shamisen) / Ringo Bushi 4. Tamako Onishi / Hachinohe Kouta 5. Shinrin Torii / Akita Oiwake 6. Shujiro Fijita I / Akita Bushi 7. Seiko Shimosaka / Chagu Chagu Umako 8. Narumi Inoue / Sotoyama Bushi 9. Tamako Onishi, Sachiko Tanaka / Shin Sansa Shigure 10. Kazuo Kumagai / Ineage Uta (Zarantosho) 11. Toyomi Ohmori / Kome Bushi 12. Rojun Imaizumi / Mogamigawa Funauta 13. Eiichi Sugimoto / Shinsouma Bushi 14. Teruaki Todo / Nikkosan Uta 15. Hanei Sotozaki / Shirahama Ondo 16. Naoyuki Harada / Tokyo Oodo 17. Da Carpo / Ikatori no Uta 18. Teruaki Todo / Takeda Bushi
Volume 2 with more classic minyo recorded in the 1920s and 30s.
1. Kosono, Fumiyo / Tohkamachi Kouta 2. Kotsuru / Chakkiri Bushi 3. Fumikichi Fujimoto / Niigata Kouta 4. Marichiyo Ashihara / Ashihara Bushi 5. Hideo Murata / Sakezukuri no Ie 6. Shogiku / Sancho Kouta 7. Chosaburo Hamazawa / Kaigara Bushi 8. Naoyuki Harada / Hiroshima Kikori Ondo 9. Harumi Miyako / Yosakoi Naruko Odori 10. Umeasa Umewaka II / Shibaten Odori 11. Koume Akasaka / Soroban Odori 12. Koume Akasaka / Kuroda Bushi 13. Koume Akasaka / Tankou Bushi 14. Shogiku / Itsuki no Komoriutab15. Kazuyuki Kawaguchi / Nagasaki Burabura Bushi 16. Kokichi Moriyama / Kuzumi Kogen no Uta 17. Tomiko Maezono, Haruko Eto / Kagoshima Ohara Bushi 18. Tetsuhiro Daiku, Yoriko Ganeko / Juku no Haru Price: £16.99
On this CD, two Japanese ways of life are brought together. Onsen are hot springs, the towns around them sometimes growing into resorts of varying degrees of tourist tackiness, although many remain reasonably unspoilt. Minyo or folk songs have also grown up in these onsen towns, and this CD features songs from onsen resort towns in the east of Japan.
1. Kamehachi Tsuruta / Kamae Bushi (Asamushi Onsen, Aomori) 2. Hiromi Yoshinuki / Yusemurako (Yuse Onsen, Akita) 3. Yusei Iwamatsu / Izayamaki (Yudagawa Onsen, Yamagata) 4. Kyoko Araki / Hanezawa Bushi (Hanezawa Onsen, Yamagata) 5. Shigeo Utagawa / Aizu Bandaisan (Higashiyama Onsen, Fukushima) 6. Chiyoko Shimakura / Iizaka Kouta (Iizaka Onsen, Fukushima) 7. Noboru Kirishima / Byakko-tai (Aizu Wakamatsu, Fukushima) 8. Yoko Harumi / Kusatsu Bushi (Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma) 9. Kyoko Saito / Kusatsu Yumomi Uta (Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma) 10. Mitsuo Okada / Nasu Yumomi Uta (Yunomoto Onsen, Tochigi) 11. Ougetsu Matsubayashi / Kinugawa Saonagashi Uta (Kinugawa Onsen, Tochigi) 12. Hisako / Iwamuro Jinku (Iwamuro Onsen, Tochigi) 13. Natsue Kubo / Iwamuro Mikudari (Iwamuro Onsen, Niigata) 14. Shutaro Honjo / Yamanaka Bushi (Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa) 15. Marichiyo Ashihara / Ashihara Bushi (Ashihara Onsen, Fukui) 16. Teruaki Todo / Tukuba Yamauta (Tsukuba Onsen, Ibaraki)
Minyo (folk songs) from the west of Japan.
1. Kyoko Saito / Ina Bushi (Nagano, Ina Onsen) 2. Gunzo Sato / Hakone Magouta (Hakone, Goura Onsen) 3. Ryudo Kawasaki / Gunjo Bushi (Gifu, Gunjo Onsen) 4. Rikichi Takeda / Takayama Bushi (Gifu, Takayama Okuhida Onsenkyo) 5. Hachiro Oshita / Shioda Kouta (Hyogo, Shioda Onsen) 6. Yuko Iida / Katsuura Bushi (Wakayama, Katsuura Onsen) 7. Chozaburo Hamazawa / Kaigara Bushi (Tottori, Hamamura Onsen) 8. Koji Onoda / Yukamuri Uta (Tottori, Iwai Onsen) 9. Miasa Kouta (Tottori, Miasa Onsen) 10. Koume Akasaka / Okutsu Onsen Kouta (Okayama, Okutsu Onsen) 11. Fumikichi Fujimoto / Iyo Bushi (Ehime, Dogo Onsen) 12. Chiyoko Shimakura / Soya no Konahiki Bushi (Tokushima, Soya Onsen) 13. Koume Akasaka / Yoeho Bushi (Kumamoto, Yamaga Onsen) 14. Chisen Nishino / Kuzumi Kogen (Oita, Beppu Onsen) 15. Midori Tan / Kotsu Kotsu Bushi (Oita, Suikyo Hita Onsen) 16. Kikutaro Shitaya / Beppu Nagashi 17. Shioda Kouta (Hyogo, Shioda Onsen) Price: £15.99
Summer festival music Japanese style. Bon odori, or bon dance, takes place during Obon, a custom and time during which people honour their ancestors. It takes place during the summer, although the exact time varies from region to region. The music and the dance also vary greatly from one region to another. Sometimes people dance in a circular fashion around a yagura, a high wooden stage, such as in Kawachi ondo, while others proceed in a straight line. Some dances use fans, others towels, still more use wooden clappers. A dance can depict a local area and its history. This CD contains Bon odori from throughout Japan, and comes with dance instructions, if you are so inclined.
1. Mitsuko Yuasa / Oishii Ondo 2. Naoyuki Harada / Tokyo Ondo (Tokyo) 3. Yoko Saito, Hidetake Endo / Hanagasa Ondo (Yamagata) 4. Minoru Onoda / Soma Bon Uta (Fukushima) 5. Masahiko Kawasaki / Dokyukai Ondo 6. Motoharu Sasaki / Hokkaido Bonuta (Hokkaido) 7. Toyama Minyo Owara Hozonkai / Ecchu Owara Bushi (Toyama) 8. Sadamichi Yamazaki / Gunjo Bushi, Kawasaki (Gifu) 9. Mitsuko Komatsu / Kawachi Ondo, Sen Sen Zukushi 10. Miyoki Nakamura / Awa Odori (Tokushima) 11. Sengetsu Ozawa / Chichibu Ondo (Saitama) 12. Hanei Sotozaki / Soran Bushi 13. Hanako Ono, Yoshikoe Endo, Kiyoko Tanaka, Norio Saito / Akita Ondo (Akita) 14. Yoko Harumi / Yamanaka Bushi (Ishikawa) 15. Tetsuji Okusako, Mihara Yassa Odori Shinkokai / Mihara Yassa Odori (Hiroshima) 16. Kyoko Saito / Yosakoi Bushi (Kochi) 17. Koume Akasaka / Tanko Bushi (Fukuoka) 18. Teruaki Todo / Bokenai Ondo
Fantastic third album from the duo of female minyo singer Shigeri Kitsu and shamisen player and singer Katsuaki Sawada. Kitsu is also a member of Haruomi Hosono's Pan Pacific Mongoloid Unit, and Hosono joins the duo on narimono, small flutes, hand gongs, wooden percussion and backing chants on an album of traditional Japanese folk tunes, together with percusion player Shigeya Hamaguchi. 12 tracks plus bonus track. 1. Goshu Ondo 2. Nishimonai Bon Odori 3. Izumozaki Okesa 4. Kokiriko Bushi 5. Hachinohe Jinku - Nambu Umakata Sansagari 6. Aiuchi Bon Odori Uta 7. Tsugaru Yosare - Nambu Yoshare 8. Tsugaru Oharabushi 9. Yasugi Bushi 10. Okino Taue Uta 11. Gengen Barara- Kagoshima Haiya 12. Awaodori 13. bonus track - Koroishi Jongara. Price: £23.99
Tsugaru shamisen is normally a solo style. Fast and semi-improvised, a succession of young players have popularized the music in recent years. This album is tsugaru and other shamisen styles together with some great singing by male shamisen player Katsuaki Sawada, and female taiko drummer and singer Shigeri Kitsu. Superb singing and fantastic playing make this a stellar release. Hypnotic and powerful, comes with English liner notes.
Kitsu is a truly amazing minyo singer, a rare talent in Japan. Her voice is sharp and shrill, with a raw power and emotion. Her voice and taiko drumming is accompanied by tsugaru shamisen master Sawada, these songs performed perhaps close to their original intended style, instead of a modern watered down version. The songs are mostly from the Tsugaru region of northern Japan, but include some songs from Kagoshima and Nagasaki in the south of Japan and elsewhere. Some songs are up-tempo, others more plaintive, on one of the best min'yo albums available. 1. Amefuri Uta, Echigo Matsuzaka (Niigata) 2. Tasuke Haiya (Nagasaki) 3. Kagoshima Hanya (Kagoshima) 4. Kaga Haiya (Ishikawa) 5. Sado Okesa, Tate Okesa, Senkoba Okesa (Niigata) 6. Oina (Niigata)
7. Aiya Bushi (Tsugaru, Aomori) 8. Aiya Bushi (Tsugaru, Aomori) 9. Esashi Oiwake (Hokkaido) 10. Konahiki Uta (Nambu, Aomori) 11. Shinbo Kodaiji Bushi (Niigata) 12. Kuroishi Yosare (Tsugaru, Aomori) 13. Yosare Bushi (Tsugaru, Aomori) 14. Nanimosasa (Tsugaru, Aomori) 15. Jongara Bushi (Tsugaru, Aomori) 16. Echigo Matsuzaka (Niigata) Price: £23.99
Definitive 2 CD set of minyo, local folk songs from throughout Japan. Hear tunes from the far north in Hokkaido to the deep south in Kagoshima. 40 tracks.
Excellent compilation of minyo (folk) songs for celebration. Artists include Fumio Otsuka, Kiyoko Iwai, Mitsue Hayasaka, Michiya Mihashi and Hanako Ono. And tracks Tawaratsumi Uta, Nagasaki Nonnoko Bushi, Iwai Medetai, Nagamochi Uta, Ushibuka Haiyabushi, Ise Ondo and Hanagasa Ondo. Price: £22.99
Minyo songs played on the shakuhachi, the bamboo flute. The 22 tracks include Nagamochi Uta, Soma Magouta, Yoshi no Kokiriuta, Nanbu Ushiouta, Natsu no Yama uta and Mogamigawa Funauta.
Eishiba is one of Japan's leading singers of kouta, (short shamisen songs). On this latest album her voice is accompanied by shamisen, tsuzumi, taiko and fue on tracks suitable for buyo (traditional dance).Forget the soundtrack to Memoires of a Geisha, get this instead. 23 superb tracks. Price: £23.99
Asakusa (Tokyo old town) geisha style singing lady with shamisen. Compilation of her best traditional tracks and new recordings. Tracks are chosen by Eishiba and her recent recording partner Toshinori Kondo. Photos taken by one of Japan's most famous photographers, Nobuyoshi Araki.
Popular songs from the Edo period, similar to hauta or kauta material. Solo performance from elderly singer and shamisen player. Some plaintive, some more uptempo with humerous elements and commentary about the songs given by Shicho Yanigawa. Fascinating. Price: £23.99
Wonderful performance of traditional hauta and kouta, or songs from the Edo period. A great document of an important musical culture. 2 CDs.
Fascinating compilation of kouta and hauta, kind of Edo (pre-westernization) period love songs. The type of music geishas might sing to entertain with voice and shamisen, and a symbol of Edo music and culture. Price: £23.99
Taneo comes from a long line of festival music singers, singing hayashi, the distinctive festival music style.Lively, enjoyable and accessible.
Archive recordings from the 1920s-30s of Japanese folk songs from Nagasaki. Voice and shamisen (Japanese lute) gives a taste of ancient Japan. Price: £22.99
Intriguing album of Japanese rapping banana salesmen in southern Japan. Superb.
Recordings from the 60s of blind singers and shamisen players. Japanese griots. Price: £23.99
Following on from the excellent volume 1, blind singers and shamisen players, who could be called the Japanese version of 'griots'.
Traditional and classic rokyoku (storytelling and music) from one of the genre's greatest exponents. Price: £23.99
Haruo Minami was one of Japan's greatest minyo (folk music) singers. His roots lay in the rokyoku (storytelling) world, and this album goes back to those roots on an album in his original rokyoku style.
