Shoei Uehara is a 75 year old Jazz drummer who has been playing jazz on the island for 54 years, with his own quartet, a big combo and with a string quartet. Produced by Okinawan jazz trombone player Eiki Maesato. Pure jazz, not too many Okinawan influences apart fro the bonus track Juku no Haru featuring the sanshin.

Bit of a strange one this. Classical music composed using the Okinawan scale. So the basic melody sounds Okinawan but it's a classical version of it.

Sar-hoo-hoo is female singer Nagako together with guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and all-round Okinawan music genius Kenji Yano (Surf Champlers, Sarabange, Sanshin Cafe Orchestra). Some of the best known Okinawan popular songs performed bossa nova style.

A university steelband tackle some of Okinawa's most famous tunes, old and new. Nada Sousou, Tinsagu nu Hana, Shima Uta, Hana, Tsuki nu Kaisha and more. 12 tracks.

Back in 1957 in Okinawa, there were seven jazz big bands with sixteen members, the number of professional jazz musicians totalling over 400. These days, it's a bit different with jazz being overtaken by just about every other form of music. Now however, jazz makes a comeback with a new album from the Okinawan Jazz Association (OJA). Mostly jazz versions of famous Okinawan tunes, Shima Uta, Asadoya Yunta, Chinugujushi, Tinsagu nu Hana, Agata Sundunchi. Plus Okinawan takes on famous jazz tunes, Take the 'Yui' Rail, Nankuru the Naisa. 11 tracks.

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.

Solo performances on sanshin on some of Okinawa's most famous songs. Comes with Western and Okinawan music score for any sanshin players out there, and lyrics (in Japanese only). 16 tracks including Shima Uta, Haisai Ojisan and Asadoya Yunta.

Latest in this series aimed at players of sanshin as much as Okinawan music fans. This one focuses on a broad range of songs of departure, seperation and farewells. From Chopin to Utada Hikaru's First Love, comes with sanshin score and piano notation.

'Songs You Want to Hear and Play on Sanshin'. Various J-pop songs by artists such as Dreams Come True, SMAP, Southern All Stars, Kiroro, as well big-name Okinawan aritsts Rimi Natsukawa and Begin played solo on sanshin by Fu-mi, an Okinawan based musician. 15 tracks. 1. Sekai ni Hitotsudake no Hana (Smap) 2. Sakura (Naotaro Moriyama) 3. Okuru Kotoba (Kaientai) 4. Sen no Kaze ni Natte (Masashi Akikawa) 5. Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta nara (Yumi Arai) 6. Love Love Love (Dreams Come True) 7. Kotoba ni Dekinai (Of Course) 8. Saboten no Hana (The Tulip) 9. Kanpai (Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi) 10. Itoshi no Elly (The Southern All Stars) 11. Nada Sou Sou (Rimi Natsukawa) 12. Shimanchu nu Takara (Begin) 13. Makenai de (Zard) 14. Akai Sweetpea (Seiko Matsuda) 15. Oggy Jiman no Orion Beer (Begin) Bonus Tracks. Hana - Subete no Hito ni Hana o (Shokichi Kina & Champloose) Tinsagu nu Hana

'Songs You Want to Hear and Play on Sanshin'. Popular Japanese western style folk songs played solo on sanshin by Fu-mi, the artist from and based in Okinawa.1. Yume no Nakae (Yosui Inoue) 2. Kekkon Shiyouyo (Takuro Yoshida) 3.Nagoriyuki (Iruka) 4. Misaki Meguri (Kotaro Yamamoto & Weekend) 5. Sake to Namida to Otoko to Onna (Eigo Kawashima) 6. Tentomushi no Samba (Cherish) 7. Tsubasa o Kudasai 8. Kyo no Hi wa Sayonara (Ryoko Moriyama) 9. Saraba Seishun (Kei Ogura) 10. Tomo yo (Nobuyasu Okamura) 11. Koi (Chiharu Matsuyama) 12. Uchi no Otosan (Kaguyahime) 13. Sotsugyo Shashin (Yumi Arai) 14. Bara ga Saita (Mike Maki) 15. Ano Subarashii Ai o Moichido (Kazuhiko Kato & Osamu Kitayama) Bonus Track. Kaette kita Yopparai - Tengoku de Kachashii (Toshin Doi) (Folk Crusaders)

Imagine sitting in lounge bar in Okinawa sipping on a cocktail. A man is tinkering on the piano, but instead of a few jazz classics, he's playing some of Okinawa's most famous tunes. That man is Masaaki Tamae and he does a pretty good job of turning those melodies into jazz lounge style tunes. Not to everyone's taste but has it's place. Songs include Asadoya Yunta, Nada Sousou, Chinnuku Jushi, Ikawu, Hana, Tinsagu nu Hana and Bashofu.

Soundtrack to the Okinawan film Koshikute directed by Yuji Nakae (Nabbie no Koi, Hotel Hibiscus). Artists include pop roots trio Begin and Okinawan jazz singer Sumiko Yoseyama. 22 tracks from traditional Okinawan to a cover of 'What a Wonderful World'. The story is about High School students who have a band called Beginning who also feature on the album.

Cao Xue Jing plays some of the most popular Okinawan songs on erhu, the Chinese two stringed bowed fiddle. He is accompanied by piano, sanshin, guitar, bass and percussion.1.Shimauta 2.Tinsagu nu Hana 3.Hana 4.Juku no Haru 5.Asadoya Yunta 6.Haisai Ojisan 7.Koishikute 8.Warabigami 9.Nada Sousou 10.Wadatsumi no Ki 11.Umukaji 12.Satoukibi-batake 13.Bashofu 14.Tsuki nu Kaisha

A first for the Far Side. A teach yourself language CD, learn to speak Okinawan! You will however know how to speak Japanese first as the CD gives Japanese translations of basic conversation and Okinawan words. Reading Japanese too would help as the booklet has all the various conversations and words transcribed. Have a listen to the sound clip if interested. Any takers?

Soundtrack album featuring greats such as Rinsho Kadekaru, Seijin Noborikawa, Misako Ohshima, plus Michael Nyman and Ashley McIsaac.

Soundtrack to the hit Okinawan film 'Hotel Hibiscus' directed by Yuji Nakae, who also made 'Nabii No Koi'. Includes the great Seijin Noborikawa, and many interesting tunes and artists from traditonal to unique mixtures.

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?