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.

Price:  £18.99

Excellent new album from the wonderful singer and sanshin player from Ishigaki island, Yaeyama. Oshima has a brittle, expressive voice, steeped in tradition yet distinctively his own. On this album of 13 tracks, Oshima plays both traditional standards from Yaeyama and Miyako island, and a smattering of his own songs. The impressive guest list includes Kanako Hatoma (voice, hayashi (backing vocals) sanshin, UA (hayashi) Ayano Kinjo of Kiroro (piano), Jiang Juan Hua (erhu) and Dermot Byrne from Altan (accordion).


Price:  £18.99

We've been waiting for an album like this from Rikki for a while. Rikki has proved herself to be not only a great singer, but a good songwriter with an ear for inventive production. The songs, mostly original are played on sanshin, guitar, bass and percussion with occasional shakuhachi, erhu (Chinese violin) and harmonium. From ballads to mid-tempo to the rousing finale Rikki no Rokucho Bushi.

Price:  £18.99

Aloha + Haisai, fascinating CD that explores the strong links between the islands of Okinawa and Hawaii. Hawaiian and Okinawan mixtures such as second generation Okinawans in Hawaii singing Okinawan tunes or Okinawan musicians singing Hawaiian influenced tunes, from the 1950s until the present day. 14 tracks, artists include Masao Teruya, Rikki, Makoto Kubota & Yuyake Gakudan, Rinken Teruya & Tomoko Uehara, Sachiko Shima, Clara Shinkawa, Japonesian Band, Tomoaki Maekawa and the songs include Asadoya Yunta, Horehore Bushi, Hawaii Ondo, Honolulu Kouta, Haisai Ojisan, Hawaii Koshin-kyoku and Agarisachi.


Price:  £18.99

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.


Price:  £18.99

Another compilation of the original Nenes, this one of some of their more plaintive songs or with a saudade (yearning) feeling such as Shima Jima Kaisha, Shima Yakara, Akabana and Tege '95 version. 15 tracks, nice selection, but other Best of compilations give a better overview of the group.


Price:  £18.99

Mostly Nenes renditions of traditional Okinawan tunes sung in uchina-guchi, or the Okinawan language. 18 tracks including Asadoya Yunta and Tinsagu nu Hana.


Price:  £18.99

Mika Uchizato is one of the best young female singers in Okinawa. She has previously worked with Ryukyu Underground, and this is her second solo album. Good selection of material avoids the cliche classics, and there is some imaginative arrangements and instrumentation. Occasionally the album goes dangerously high on the cheesy synthesizer barometer, and indulgent over sweetness, but generally another promising album from an excellent singer.


Price:  £18.99

Iriomote is the westernmost of the Okinawan islands, but is generally not as known for its music as Ishigaki, or even Miyako. Suguru Ikeda is a young singer and sanshin player with a fairly deep and raspy voice. He is accompanied by piano player Chigusa Ishikawa on renditions of mainly Iriomote island songs. While the piano is fine on a couple of tunes, having it throughout takes the album too far into new age territory, and makes this a one dimensional album. Suffering from lack of variety, nevertheless, the album has some beautiful moments, mostly because of some great songs and singing.


Price:  £18.99

Ikue Asazaki is an elderly lady from Amami island whose voice is full of character, slightly hoarse and sometimes with falsetto. On this album she sings Okinawan and Amami traditional minyo, plus old Japanese songs and lullabies. Excellent.


Price:  £18.99

Ryukyudisko are the young Okinawan dj duo of twin brothers Tetshushi (RKD1 rhythm and sequence) and Yosuke Hiroyama (RKD2 vox, mix and efx). On this remarkable debut, they combine their own Okinawan melodies and Okinawan singers and instruments with techno and other dance sounds. Powerful, original club music.

Price:  £17.99

New album by the man behind Surf Champlers and Sarabandge and Okinawan Cafe Music. Solo sanshin playing of contemporary classics of Okinawan music, in fairly easy listening style. Songs includes Hana (Shokichi Kina), Nada Sousou (Rimi Natsukawa), Shimanchu nu Takara (Begin), Shimauta (The Boom), Warabigami (Misako Koja), and classics such as Asadoya Yunta, Tinsagu nu Hana and Akata Sun Dunchi. Great as background music and to hear some of Okinawa's best known melodies on it's most recognized instrument.


Price:  £16.99

Eight popular Okinawan tunes, including Tinsagu nu Hana, Asadoya Yunta, Shima Uta and Bashofu are given the classical treatment by the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra. Whatever next?


Price:  £17.99

This series of compilations have established themselves for giving a taster of both tradtional and contemporay Okinawan roots music. This one features on the roots side Sadao China, Misako Koja Tetsuhiro Daiku and Shokichi Kina while Rimi Natsukawa, Kiroro, Parsha Club and Acoustic M cover the Okinawan pop side.


Price:  £17.99