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by Joseph Yoshimasu Kamiya  Monthly selections of Ryūkyūan music – past and present, from the islands and in the diaspora! Curated by OAA members and special guests, we’ll share songs inspired by themes like personal connections, significant seasons, specific islands and regions, and more. If you don't know many traditional songs or modern songs by Ryūkyūan performers, we hope that these informal recommendations will help with building your library! If you're already aware of many of the songs featured, we hope you will enjoy the personal connections and curated themes!
"Atarashii Sekai" by Tatsumi Chibana「新しい世界」知花 竜海 Many might know Tatsumi Chibana (知花竜海) as the unapologetically-Okinawan hip hop artist whose band, DUTY FREE SHOPP, recorded "Tami no Domino" (People's Domino) in response to the 2004 U.S. military helicopter crash at Okinawa International University (a song that deserves its own blog post). Though Chibana's post-DUTY FREE SHOPP music adopted more laidback vibes, songs like 2017's "Atarashii Sekai" (New World) showed us that he still has important messages to convey. "The base issue is huge, but my protest songs aren't anti-base, so much as pro-community," Chibana stated in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. "I'm not interested in the ideological battles between left and right. The theme I really want to explore through my music is that no matter what happens, local people's way of life must be protected." In the folksy rock song, Chibana references beautiful locations in Okinawa including places where U.S. military establishments are being built and destroying nature (Henoko bay and Takae forest). However, in place of the abrasive lyrics of "Tami no Domino" are scenes of children on the beach and traditional festivals surrounded by nature, delicious foods from the ocean and mountains – and how all of that can easily disappear. The song prominently features a sanshin, which fits naturally with the acoustic guitar and harmonica to create a jaunty protest anthem that's uniquely Okinawan and deserves a spot on any Ryūkyū-focused playlist. "I'm always aware of my Okinawan identity when I make music. OK, so I wasn't brought up listening to folk songs, but the spirit of that old music is in mine. It doesn't matter whether I play reggae, hip-hop or rock, it's still Okinawan music." "Miyarabi Shima Uta" by Chihiro Kamiya「美童しまうた」神谷 千尋 Chihiro Kamiya has a wide range of recordings under her belt, from collaborations with hip-hop and reggae duo U-Don & Platy to traditional renditions and original compositions (she even sang on “Chura Disney”, a compilation album of Okinawa-fied Disney songs). It isn’t a surprise that she started her career at the age of three, performing traditional music at her family’s minshuku guest house in their home island of Tsuken. It also isn’t a surprise that her father Kōyū Kamiya (神谷幸裕), uncle Kōichi Kamiya (神谷幸一), and brother Yukitaka Kamiya (神谷幸昂) are highly accomplished Ryūkyūan uta-sanshin singers and musicians. Kamiya's upbringing in a traditional music family and her own creative style have made her a versatile artist that can seamlessly move through both the mainstream pop and roots music realms. “When I was at high school I was sometimes a bit embarrassed to do minyō (folk music),” she admits in John Potter’s “The Power of Okinawa: Roots Music from the Ryūkyūs” book. “So I formed a band there to do pop and rock music and I was the vocalist.” However, we would never have known this as her debut album, 2023’s “Miyarabi Shima Uta”, immediately opens with Kamiya's beautiful voice singing – not in Japanese, but in Uchinaaguchi. Sanshin and piano build up to a full band with that ever so familiar modern Okinawan pop sound, but opening with Uchinaaguchi is a bold move for a brand new artist. Actually, her very first single, the title track “Miyarabi Shima Uta”, was her very first introduction to the mainstream and that, too, is sung in Uchinaaguchi! (It’s interesting to note that the single version starts instrumental while the album version opens with Kamiya singing a capella in Uchinaaguchi.) Never losing her Ryūkyūan identity, she has since released three solo full-length albums and most recently a family album, 2023’s “Yuubaru Uta Kata (ゆーばる唄方)”, with her father Kōichi and brother Yukitaka. “Ever since I was a child I’ve been doing this kind of work. There are quite a few young people doing this but there are not many people who can be like me and go on stage, for example at the Ryūkyū Festival. I’m very lucky to be in that position so I want to carry on doing it. It’s a special thing.” "Shima DUB" album by HARIKUYAMAKU「島DUB」HARIKUYAMAKU Pre-Spotify, searching "Okinawa," "Ryukyu," "Uchinaanchu," etc. on music platforms didn't always bear results (or at least satisfying ones). You do, at times, find a gem which was the case when I stumbled upon HARIKUYAMAKU on SoundCloud.com. Utilizing the music studio techniques of "dub" that arose in the late-1960s and early-70s, HARIKUYAMAKU takes old Ryūkyū minyō (folk music) vinyl records and transforms them into textured reggae and experimental pieces that evoke nostalgia for a time and place that never really existed. "When I was about 20 years old, I listened to the CD version of 'Okinawa Ongaku Soran' and discovered the depth of Okinawan music, which led me to start collecting records and listening to a variety of Okinawan folk songs," he told John Potter of The Power of Okinawa blog. Some tracks are chill while others possess somewhat eerie qualities, so it's difficult to say that they're suitable for everyone. In contrast to Ryūkyū Underground (founded by English and American musicians Keith Gordon and Jon Taylor) who created catchy electronic dance music that incorporated traditional Ryūkyūan songs and elements, HARIKUYAMAKU's music feels otherworldly yet deeply rooted in the islands. "I am very proud of being born and raised in Okinawa, and at the same time sad that it is being lost, these songs are my treasures and have become a part of me… I hope that when people hear the songs, as I did, they will respond in some way, and that it will trigger them to think about the past, the present, the climate, history, and other such things. Even if the songs are too deep and difficult to access as they are, I hope that my remixes will make many people listen to them and have an impact on them, even if only a little." I admittedly didn't give myself enough time to do more deep-dives in time for Sanshin Day, so please just enjoy some of my favorite sanshin-centric songs by modern Ryūkyūan artists! "Yandō Okinawa" by Ayano Uema「やんどー沖縄」上間 綾乃 Try to stop your body from moving to Ayano Uema's masterful blend of minyō and ska! Uema is another musician who, like Chihiro Kamiya, can move flexibly between pop and traditional music and often incorporates Uchinaaguchi into her original compositions (though this particular song is a mix of both Japanese and Uchinaaguchi). The Sakishima Meeting ザ・サキシマユニゾン I don't have a specific song to share, just the band itself as it's truly a dream-team collaboration. Parsha Club's Yukito Ara (新良幸人) and solo guitarist Isamu Shimoji (下地イサム) draw inspiration from their roots in the Yaima (Yaeyama) and Myaaku (Miyako) islands, respectively, and a variety of musical influences to create a jazzy and funky new brand of modern Ryūkyūan music. (It's also worth noting that Isamu Shimoji is a language revitalization advocate and posts frequently about Myaaku-futsu, the Miyako language.) "Layers" by Mutsumi Aragaki「Layers」新垣 睦美 I'm by no means an expert on the subject, but I feel like it isn't common to find Ryūkyūan artists in Okinawa who use the sanshin in experimental music. As is the case with experimental music in general, it isn't for everyone. However, I highly recommend Mutsumi Aragaki's "Layers" from her 2020 album "Another Side of Okinawan Music", which blends natural soundscapes, a lonesome sanshin, and children playing, only to be overwhelmed by a U.S. military aircraft flying overhead – its engulfing noise not hyperbolic to the real-life disturbing (and sometimes dangerous) presence of U.S. military aircrafts that fly right over Okinawan homes and schools. The sound of the sanshin is gradually manipulated with discordant effects as the soothing sounds of cicadas and children fades away. This post is for non-for-profit, educational, or entertainment purposes only. The OAA does not own the rights to these songs. For videos embedded on in the OAA's blog posts, we try our best to use official channels only (performing art centers, local musicians, record labels) in order to avoid pirated or unauthorized video uploads.
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