Okinawan island music already has many fans in the west. The music of Amami island is a mixture of Japanese and Okinawan influences sung in a distinctive local style by the island's leading female singer Rikki. With simple arrangements featuring sanshin (lute) Hawaiian guitar, accordion and Brazilian percussion, this beautiful album is a natural mixture of island and world instrumentation with stunning vocals from a world class singer.

Reissue of one of Rikki's first albums, this one a fine traditional minyo (folk) album. Her voice is in good form if less developed than now.


Price:   £22.99

At last Rikki releases an album to rival her "Miss You Amami". Very contemporary feel to the material, with no sanshin and few acoustic instruments except acoustic guitar. Instead Rikki's extraordinary voice is set to a cool backing of rhythms and synthesized sounds that are never overbearing but designed to enhance her strengths, courtesy of Hiroaki Sugawara.

Sometimes overproduced by someone who wanted Rikki to sound like a pop idol. Take away the artist's greatest asset and on some of the material you're left with not very much. A couple of tracks are not bad, but ultimately bland and disappointing.


Price:   £23.99

Mini CD of music performed on the hit computer game, Final Fantasy II. Includes six other songs, up to the high standards of Rikki.