-
3-4 Day Special: Kajadifuu Bushi
In celebration of Sanshin Day, March 4, I’m featuring a Ryūkyū Koten Ongaku (Ryūkyū classical music) song called “Kajadifū Bushi (かぎやで風節).” It has a bit of history for myself as the first song I learned on uta-sanshin from Katsumi Shinsato-sensei some fifteen years ago and I’ve been playing it ever since. Here’s a little background…
-
Quick review of Namie Amuro’s “60s 70s 80s” single
Continuing onto 2008 with a very successful 2007, Namie Amuro’s new Triple A-Side single (to be released on 3/12/08), “60s 70s 80s,” is simply amazing so far. The first song, “New Look,” (PV below) samples The Supremes’ hit song from 1964 “Baby Love” to great effect. Hearing the original on the radio yesterday, I found…
-
melody. blogs release date for her forthcoming album ‘Lei Aloha’
J-pop artist and Karakui.com favorite, melody., blogged the release date of 4/9/08 for her upcoming album, “Lei Aloha.” According to her blog post, the theme for “Lei Aloha” is kizuna (bonds) and it will be melody.’s 4th album following 2007’s “READY TO GO!” The album will feature 14 songs (track titles are already up on…
-
Amuse forms new company, gives Emi Tawata major label debut – Tokyograph
Management agency Amuse is establishing a new company called AZEAL. Within the first three years, the company aims to sign three music artists who have the potential for nationwide tours that will attract hundreds of thousands of fans. The first artist signed to the firm is 23-year-old singer Emi Tawata. Originally from Okinawa, she was…
-
O-Reggae goes SOUTH!
Okay, I admit, that’s a pretty silly title for a blog post. Heh. Anywho, Okinawan reggae duo SOUTH released a new album on the 22nd titled “Walking Up.” The 7-track album will feature their style of reggae dubbed (get it?) “Okinawan happy reggae.” The freshly released “Walking Up” follows their debut album “Peace-Full-Piece” from 2006.…
-
TBSK: The next HY / HandMC?
Sorry about the abbreviations in the title folks but can you name all three bands? We’ll start with the popular indie band HY — since that’s what they go by — who are representing their hometown, Higashi Yakena, with pride. (Btw, it’s the band’s choice to remain indie.) Next is the uber-popular J-mixture band HIGH…
-
LINA blogs a picture of MAX
Just to show that yup, they’re still here (what with their last album having been released a zillion years ago, in like 2006), LINA of MAX blogged this picture of them just before a performance. (Btw, she’s quite the blogger.) They still look great — can’t let Amuro take all the thunder — and the…
-
Tatsuya Shimabukuro’s debut album ‘Tunugi’ hits stores on March 12!
Perhaps the most anticipated CD debut (for Okinawan minyou) of the year is Tatsuya Shimabukuro’s “Tunugi” which is set to be released on March 12. Tatsuya’s “Tunugi” will contain 12 tracks including two that he composed the music for. The reasonably priced ¥2,500 album, from Campus Records’ Tundami label, will also feature the talents of…
-
Desktop: Beer and Beni
Or should the title have read Beni and Beer? Well, regardless, this is a match made in heaven when a pop idol like Beni Arashiro becomes the image girl for an alcoholic beverage from one of my favorite beer makers: Orion Breweries based in Nago, Okinawa. There are two different wallpapers to choose from as…
-
Album: HY’s 5th album ‘HeartY’
It’s pretty cool to see a band, in this case HY, remain indie and onto their 5th album. “HeartY,” to be released on April 16, follows the album “Confidence” which was released about two years ago. The title of the new album is a play on the H and Y of their group name and…
Karakui 