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Cocco’s ‘Jugon no Mieru Oka’ links to Okinawa
Being a big fan of Cocco’s art and music, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the tun-tun-ten of a sanshin in her latest single “Jugon no Mieru Oka.” Although that alone is pretty cool in itself, Cocco goes on to sing (at 4:51) lyrics from “Ittaa Anmaa Maakaiga”, an Okinawan warabi uta (children’s song). While…
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Music: Teresa Bright’s ‘Hawaiinawa’ a fusion of island music from Hawaii and Okinawa
With yours truly being from Hawaii with ties to Okinawa (Japan and China too), it’s really great to see an album that brings both cultures together and Teresa Bright’s latest album “Hawaiinawa” does just that. From a Honolulu Advertiser interview with the singer (by Derek Paiva): At the beginning of the project, Bright chose to…
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Show your support
From the NYT: “Okinawans Protest Japan’s Plan to Revise Bitter Chapter of World War II” For the past quarter of a century, Japan’s high school textbooks had included the accepted historical fact that that Okinawans had been coerced into mass suicides by Imperial Army soldiers. But six months ago, the Education Ministry said that next…
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Video: Cocco’s ‘Fuuka Fuusou’ DVD release
Cocco’s VHS+CD single “Fuuka Fuusou”, available only in Okinawa (also check out her “Jugon no Mieru Oka” single), will be extending its life with a DVD release on November 21, 2007. While the VHS+CD can still be found in Okinawa (I picked up a copy at Tower Records [or was it Takara Records?] in March…
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Three new videos from the 25th Okinawan Festival up at Champuru.net!
If you enjoyed the 25th Okinawan Festival vlog Donna posted to Champuru.net a few days ago, you’re going to love that she has three, count ’em three new videos up. Ryusei Daiko Hanayakara Naha Daiko Enjoy! And be sure to leave a comment for Donna too. 🙂
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Champuru posts 25th Okinawan Festival vlog
Donna over at champuru.net has a vlog of highlights from the past weekend’s 25th Okinawan Festival in Waikiki, Hawaii. She also has a bunch of photos up of the festival up on Flickr: 2007 Okinawan Festival (photoset).
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BEGIN Starts Up Their Own Record Label: PIG PINK
Music group BEGIN has founded its own music label named PIG PINK, also known by the nickname ‘Buta House.’ The label started in July as part of Imperial Records, the J-pop branch of Teichiku Records. Last fall, BEGIN started working on their music in a pink-walled house on Okinawa. Their label’s name is based on…
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DVD: Misako Oshiro’s ‘Uta Kataree’
Utasaa great Misako Oshiro is making 2007 a year to remember. She started off the year with her first full-album in 10 years, “Uta Umui” (UBCA-1008, Tuff Beats), and held her 50th anniversary (in Okinawa’s performing arts) recital last month (7/8/07) at the Naha Shimin Kaikan. She’ll be performing around Japan from August to October…
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Hawaiian meets Okinawan: Churamana
If you’re a fan of Hawaiian and Okinawan music you may be interested in the duo Churamana (チュラマナ, roughly translated as “Beautiful [chura, Okinawan] Energy [mana, Hawaiian]”) with Tokyo-born Maki Uehara on vocals/hula and Ishigakijima-born Makiko Miyara (formerly of the O-pop group Donann) on vocals. If you’re familiar with the group TINGARA (Okinawan healing music)…
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Digging Yanawarabaa
Currently collecting a lot of play counts on my iPod and in iTunes is “Haikei (maru maru) san” from an indies J/O-pop duo (Rio Aizato & Yuu Ishigaki) from Ishigaki called Yanawarabaa. The song also happens to be the theme song for a Yukie Nakama drama called “Erai Tokoro ni Totsuide Shimatta!”. Talk about making…
Karakui 