Owara-bushi (folksong) CD

Riyou Owara-bushi (Owara-bushi: a folk song). Yoimachi-Senmaikaigi No Number (compact disc).

The "Owara-bushi" is one of the most popular minyo (folksongs) in the Yatsuo region in Toyama Prefecture. This folktune is the main feature of the Owara kaze-no-bon, a Buddhist festival in early September, celebrating the coming fall-season.

On the day of the festival, all communities in Yatsuo prepare their own kimono costumes (two kindes for each community; one for male dancers and another for female dancers). Dancers with these kimonos appears on the stage to show their elegant choreography to the tourists. The dancers are accompanied by the hayashi, or instrumental ensemble for minyo, consisted of the shamisen, kokyu, and the small taiko drum. After their staged show is over at midnight, the dancers and musicians moves to the street of Yatuo and begin parading with their quiet, slow-moving dance and sounds from the folk instruments, leaving the spectators the impression of the summer's end.

For those who are looking for live recordings of this minyo festival, you should look for different CDs or a DVD. This CD does not include a live recording of today's minyo performance; it is a compilation of old recordings originally released on the 78s. Nonetheless, it is interesting to compare the performances and to hear different tempi and singing styles of the same folktune. Actually, in some versions, the piece itself is quite heavily altered or arranged, and improvisational passages may be added here and there.

Generally speaking, earlier performances are faster than the later ones. As the performance becomes slower and slower, the sound of the kokyu becomes more emiment in the ensemble. Now the kokyu is the most characteristic sound in this folktune. I do not know other minyo using the kokyu in the hayashi ensemble.

The transfer and editing process of each version on this CD varies, too. One version includes a brief pause between Sides A and B of the original 78 rpm disc. In a different version, two sides of the disc are neatly connected. Some versions are direct transfers from the disc; in other versions, discs are played on the old grammophone first, and the sound coming from the loud speaker is picked up by the microphone.

The CD, as a whole, is a nice piece of history.

The Flute of the Yayoi Period

Yayoi no Fue (The Flute of the Yayoi Period). Pieces composed and performed by Hiroshi Tamura. Toshiba-EMI TW-60020 (vinyl).

This ocallina-like flute on the record jacket is called the Ken. This instrument was found in an archeological research, which has confirmed that such a flute would have existed in the Yayoi Period. Probably, the Ken was originally invented iin China, where a similar instruments still exists today.

The details of the music actually played on the Ken has been lost, unfortunately, but a Japanese composer Hiroshi Tamura in Yamaguchi created rather mild,"New Age"-ish compositions based on his imagination toward this ancient era. Although never mentioned in liner notes or record labels, performances on this LP record include other instruments than the ken: rattles, belles, and small drums. (Written on 1 January 2004)

My Researches

I am currently working on two projects for the journal called "Ongaku Bunka no Sozo," or "The Creation of Musical Culture," published quarterly for those who are interested in life-long music education (extension schools etc.) or musical administration in non-cosmopolitan areas.

The first project is a survey of music festivals in various places in Japan. I am especially interested in small music festivals than so-called "international festivals." There used to be many of these international ones, when the financial situation in Japan was better, bringing world-famous musicians to rural areas. Now in the midst of the long-time depression, publich offices, which started many "international music festivals," have to change the nature of their local music festivals. As most of them no longer can afford royalties to world-renown artists, some music festivals turns into their local talents, most of them amateurs.

The second project is a survey on various musical competitions that can be used as a tool for life-long education. Usually, competitions are designed for youths who are looking for professional careers. Therefore, the applicants are limited to the young musicians (and most of them are students of music schools). However, there are some competitions open for older people. For example, San-in Guiter Festival has a "Senior" entry, elligible for 40 years old or older. There is also competitions, open for all ages.

Anyway, I began sending faxes and calling various state offices and administrators of music festifvals and competitions. It's going to be fun.