is the music associated with the Okinawa Islands of southwestern Japan. In modern Japan, it may also refer to the musical traditions of Okinawa Prefecture, which covers the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands in addition to the Okinawa Islands. It has its roots in the larger musical traditions of the Southern Islands.

Genres

A dichotomy widely accepted by Okinawan people is the separation of musical traditions into koten (classical) and min'yō (folk). Okinawa was once ruled by the highly centralized kingdom of Ryūkyū. The samurai class in the capital of Shuri developed its high culture while they frequently suppressed folk culture in rural areas. Musicologist Susumu Kumada added another category, "popular music", to describe songs that emerged after the kingdom was abolished in 1879.

Classical music

thumb|right|300px|Uzagaku

was the court music of Ryūkyū. was the traditional chamber music of the royal palace at Shuri Castle. It was performed by the bureaucrats as official duties.

The texture is essentially heterophonic using a single melodic line. Pitched accompaniment instruments each play a simultaneous variation on the vocal line.

Folk music

Traditionally seen as "low culture" by the samurai class, gained positive evaluation with the rise of folkloristics led by Yanagita Kunio. Folk music is described by the Japanese term min'yō. Since the kingdom was abolished, some members of the former samurai class spread Shuri-based high culture to other areas of Okinawa. Some of such new elements are today seen as part of folk culture.

Okinawa pop

The music of Okinawa came under the influence of American rock music beginning with the end of World War II. Many musicians began to blend the Okinawan folk music style and native instruments with those of American popular and rock music. This is called "Uchinaa pop". One example is Ryukyu Underground, who combine both classical and folk music with modern Dub music.

Instrumentation

The instrument that defines Okinawan music is the sanshin (shamisen). It is a three-stringed lute, very similar to the Chinese sanxian and a precursor to the Japanese shamisen. The body is covered in snake skin and it is plucked with a plectrum worn on the index finger.

Okinawan folk music is often accompanied by various taiko drums such as , , and . Pārankū, a small hand-held drum about the size of a tambourine, is often used in eisā dancing.

Other percussion instruments such as , and can often be heard in Okinawan music. Sanba are three small, flat pieces of wood or plastic that are used to make rapid clicking sounds, similar to castanets. Yotsutake are two sets of rectangular bamboo strips tied together, one set held in each hand, clapped together on the strong beat of the music. Traditionally they have been used in classical music, but recently they have been used in eisā dancing.

A group of singers called a often accompanies folk music, singing the chorus or interjecting shouts called . Also finger whistling called is common in kachāshī and eisā dance tunes.

Additional instruments are often used in classical music, and sometimes incorporated in folk music:

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| "Nākunī"

| なーくにー

| a lyrical song expressing deep longing

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| "Haisai ojisan"

| ハイサイおじさん

| a "new min'yō", music and lyrics by Shoukichi Kina

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| "Bye-bye Okinawa"

| バイバイ沖縄

| music and lyrics by Sadao China

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| "Tiidachichinuhikari"<br>"Okinawan Amazing Grace"

| 太陽月ぬ光<br>アメイジング・グレイス『沖縄方言ヴァージョン』

| a song about the Okinawan religion to the tune of Amazing Grace

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| "Akata Sun dunchi" <br> "Akata Sundunchi"

| 赤田首里殿内

| "Inside Shuri Temple in Akata Village", a traditional song about Maitreya Boddhisatva. It has become a popular children's song.

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| "Bashōfu"

| 芭蕉布

| Bashoofu is Okinawan banana cloth.

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| "Kādikū"

| 嘉手久

| a courtship kachāshī dance song

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| "Shichi-gwachi eisā"

| 七月エイサー

| an eisā dance song

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| "Warabi-gami"

| 童神

| a lullaby

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| "Shima nu hito"

| 島ぬ女

| "Island Woman"

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| "Nishinjō bushi"

| 西武門節

| written in 1933 by

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| "Jin jin" <br> "Jing jing"

| ジンジン

| a warabe uta; The title means "firefly"; the lyrics implore the firefly to "come down and drink". Shoukichi Kina and Champloose's version of this song, with slide guitar by Ry Cooder, was a minor hit in British discos. Takashi Hirayasu and Bob Brozman released a 2000 collaboration album by the same title that is a collection of various Okinawan songs or nursery rhymes. Their song "Jin Jin" is track 6 on this album.

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| "Ten'yō bushi"

| てんよー節

| A common song involving red and white flags played at the Obon Festival.

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| "Nada Sōsō"

| 涙そうそう

| "Great Tears Are Spilling", 2000 single with music by Begin, lyrics by Ryoko Moriyama

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| "Hana – Subete no hito no kokoro ni hana o"

| 花~すべての人の心に花を~

| music and lyrics by Shoukichi Kina

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| "Kudaka"

| 久高

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| "Ninjōbushi"

| にんじょー節

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| "Futami Jōwa"

| ふたみじょーわ

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Okinawan musicians and musical ensembles

Traditional (Classical / Koten Ongaku)

  • Choichi Terukina – Living National Treasure
  • Kishun Nishie – Living National Treasure

Traditional (Folk/Min'yô)

  • Sadao China
  • Rinshō Kadekaru
  • Misako Koja
  • Nēnēs
  • Seijin Noborikawa
  • Misako Oshiro

Pop

  • The Boom – rock band from Yamanashi Prefecture, known for the song Shima Uta
  • Cocco
  • High and Mighty Color
  • HY
  • Shoukichi Kina & Champloose
  • Mongol800
  • Rimi Natsukawa
  • Orange Range
  • Rinken Band
  • Ryukyu Underground – A duo fusing traditional Okinawan music with Electronica genres such as Dub.
  • DA PUMP
  • Fuzzy Control
  • RYUU-unit
  • Ryukyudisko
  • Fujiko Shuri

Media

References

  • Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai: Okinawan Music – audio selections