Legendary musician and composer playing the traditional music beautifully, accompanied by stringed instruments, including some Japanese traditional influences


Price:  £17.99

Pop versions of some of Tsuneo Fukuhara's most famous songs, including Bashofu, one of Okinawa's best loved pop songs. The presence of Four Sisters adds more weight and interest, otherwise can be a bit light.


Price:  £17.99

One of Okinawa's finest female vocalist, often called the female version of Rinsho Kadekaru. Sublime recordings from 1975 of the traditional music. Excellent.


Price:  £16.99

Stunning recording of sublime vocals and sanshin from the 1990s. Classic and lesser known material.


Price:  £17.99

Recordings made on Erabu islands by local ordinary folk enjoying life through song. Rough recordings, as if from 50 years ago, but a fascinating insight into the everyday tradition on a remote Okinawan island. Features 70 year old sanshin player and farmer Shigeru Hayashi, and Masayoshi Hiyashi. Put together by Shisars and An-Chang Project for whom these people have been a big influence.


Price:  £17.99

Combining music and comedy, a peer and teacher of Rinsuke Teruya, Seijin Noborikawa and others. Vintage recordings of including versions of Japanese hit songs. During his career, (he died in 1969) Onaha was also known as a collaborator with Four Sisters. A former great of Okinawan music, whose recordings are now made generally available.


Price:  £17.99

A harp like instrument the san shaku goto plus vocals and sanshin played by blind musician. Pretty wild, and at times sounds almost African.


Price:  £17.99

From Amami island, blind koto (harp) player and vocalist. Recordings from 20 years ago and before.


Price:  £17.99

Amami master player, with the distinctive Amami island vocal style.


Price:  £16.99

Another traditional album, with a style somewhere between Japan and Okinawa.


Price:  £17.99

Traditional Okinawa shima uta, beautifully performed and recorded.


Price:  £17.99

Solo sanshin and vocal from older Okinawan musician, hitherto, relatively unknown, but like so many others deserved of a wider audience.


Price:  £17.99

Respected elder Yaeyama musician, about on a par with Yukichi Yamazato, and produced by Yaeyama's best known musician Tetsuhiro Daiku. An album of Yaeyama standards.


Price:  £17.99

Traditional Yaeyama shima uta from Tetsuhiro Daiku's teacher.


Price:  £17.99

Similar to Tetsuhiro Daiku's albums, mixing Okinawa with Japanese chindon.Superb.


Price:  £17.99

Top female traditional singer, excellent recording, produced by Tsuneo Fukuhara.


Price:  £17.99

Traditional shima uta, wonderful female vocals in distinctive style of singing.


Price:  £17.99

Excellent set by teenage female singer from Amami island, traditional, falsetto vocals.


Price:  £17.99

Second album from 20 year old Amami island musician. Traditional album, rhythmical sanshin playing and falsetto type vocal.


Price:  £17.99

19 year old male singer, sanshin player. Rhythmical sanshin, Amami falsetto vocals, in style a mix of Japan and Okinawa.


Price:  £17.99

Glowing solo album from Nenes member. Mainly traditional, features Sadao China.


Price:  £17.99

Imagine a male version of Nenes singing traditional style Yaeyama shima uta. One paced, without the charm of the female vocalists.


Price:  £17.99

Since he died in 1999 there have been a spate of Kadekaru compilations and this is one of the best, drawing on material he recorded for one of Okinawa's lesser known labels. Kadekaru's voice and sanshin is accompanied by percussion on renditions of well known, songs. A fantastic CD to hear the traditional music played in an accessible way.


Price:  £17.99

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


Price:  £17.99

Syoei Kina, father of Shokichi Kina, has had very few albums released, despite his undoubted standing in the Okinawan music world. In 2001 this has been partly rectified with the release of two compilations. This CD concentrates on the upbeat, katcharsee style of music, recorded mostly in the 1970s. Mostly well known tunes, played with a funky style that all seems but lost these days.


Price:  £17.99

The second compilation album of Syoei Kina focuses on slower style ballads, but still manages to keep a gently rolling rhythm and funkiness, like no one else with the exception of Seijin Noborikawa. Not the standard solo sanshin, but accompanied by a band. Probably eclipses the katcharsee CD above but the two together make a perfect set to hear the range of real Okinawan music. Recommended.


Price:  £17.99

Fantastic album of Yaeyama traditional songs performed in fairly traditional style, except for wonderful version of Tsuki nu Kaisha, featuring oud, bass and percussion. As always from Daiku, a class album.


Price:  £17.99

Female singer from Amami island, where a musical tradition is probably alive more than anywhere else in Japan. Falsetto style singing, often in duet, with sanshin accompaniment. Simple but complex. Wonderful, stunning music.


Price:  £17.99

Amami island shima uta, quite different to Okinawa, and where the term iself was originally used. Seisho is a kind of modern day Kunitaka Sato, the so-called street singer of Amami. Falsetto vocals, sanshin and a recording of old tradition not preserved but passed down through generations and still healthy if judged by this album.


Price:  £17.99

For some reason, while the mainland of Okinawa struggles to produce any young musicians to record traditional music, Amami island, not strictly a part of Okinawa at all, has a surfeit. Nami Makioka at 18, is the latest to record her first album and very good it is too. Perhaps nothing that sets her apart from her contemporaries, and probably without that extra something of Rikki, but nevertheless, this is still an amazingly self assured debut. Simple, traditional, sanshin and vocals.


Price:  £17.99

Comes with book sized liner notes and CD Rom featuring scenes and video of this fascinating artist. Old songs from Amami island performed not only on sanshin, but also koto (harp-like instrument). Beautiful packaging, lovingly put together.


Price:  £19.99

3rd album from singing fisherman.The slow repertroire of Yaeyama traditional music, beautifully performed.


Price:  £17.99

Remastered and rereleased, first solo album by former Nenes leader. Produced by Sadao China, and featuring China's compositions and Okinawan standards.


Price:  £17.99

On Okinawan local label, traditional musician now in his 60s who has gained attention in Japan for his music for a drama series.


Price:  £17.99

There isn't much recorded traditional music from Miyako island available beyond Genji Kuniyoshi, so this first release by locally respected musician is very welcome. Released on Okinawan independent label.


Price:  £17.99

Veteran of Okinawan music scene, originally only available as cassette. Has been playing for 45 years and is much underrated outside of Okinawa.


Price:  £17.99

Ex-Nenes singer releases second solo album, once again produced by Sadao China. She is joined by other ex-Nenes singers Namiko Miyazato and Yukino Hiyane, and her daughter Izumi on largely traditional and excellent album.


Price:  £17.99

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


Price:  £16.99

Criminally short CD of Eisa drumming. Only if you are a real afficionado.


Price:  £13.99