Okinawa, Japan 16: Musical Traditions
Written & Directed by James Knott

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From Eisa drumming to the Sanshin there are many musical traditions unique to Okinawa. Let your ears go on a musical adventure with James Knott as he explores the history and sounds of the island. Hiyasasa! From Shuri Castle to the Uchinanchu Festival to Kokusai-dori, there are so many venues to see these traditional dances.

OKINAWA, JAPAN

Okinawa is Japan's southernmost prefecture. Over 1.25 million people are scattered across nearly 150 islands.

Okinawa has a unique culture that goes back several hundred years to when it was an independent country known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. This kingdom was known to trade frequently with China and as a result adopted much more from the Chinese than the rest of Japan.

The main island, Okinawa-honto, is surrounded by vivid, bright blue ocean and coral reefs. It is densely populated and urbanized in the south, while the the mountainous northern part of the island consists of just a few fishing villages and dense forests.

The beautiful, sub-tropical setting combined with historical roots that are more intertwined with China than Japan, have created a wonderful culture that is distinctly Okinawan.

TRANSCRIPT
Okinawa, Japan 16: Musical Traditions

THE DRUMS ARE POUNDING AND THE PERFORMERS SHOUT “IYA SA SA HA I A” – WHICH AS FAR AS I CAN TELL IS LIKE “YEE-HAW” FOR OKINAWANS. LEGS LIFT HIGH INTO THE AIR AND THE DRUMSTICKS LAND LOUDLY WITH THE CADENCE OF A HUGE MARCHING ARMY.

EISA DRUMMING IS A TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL DANCE UNIQUE TO OKINAWA.

WHAT WAS ONCE PART OF A BUDDHIST CHANT FOR DEPARTED ANCESTORS PERFORMED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE OBON FESTIVAL HAS MORPHED INTO A BEAUTIFUL ART REPRESENTED AT MOST OKINAWAN GATHERINGS.

THE DANCERS WEAR BRIGHTLY COLORED COSTUMES THAT VARY BY LOCAL TRADITION AND GENDER.

A KEY PART OF EISA IS TAIKO. TAIKO TRANSLATES TO DRUM IN ENGLISH AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT-SIZED DRUMS ARE USED IN THE PERFORMANCES.

LARGE BARREL-SHAPED DRUMS CALLED “ODAIKO.”

LACED DRUMS KNOWN AS SHIMEDAIKO

AND PARANKU, A SMALL SINGLE-HEADED DRUM.

THE POWER OF EISA WAS AMPLIFIED WHEN IT WAS PERFORMED AT THE 4TH WORLDWIDE UCHINANCHU FESTIVAL IN 2006.

OKINAWANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD RETURN TO THE ISLAND FOR THIS FESTIVAL AND HUGE CROWDS GATHER TO WATCH THE LIVELY MUSICAL PERFORMANCES.

ANOTHER GREAT PLACE TO SEE EISA DANCING IS IN THE PARADES ALONG KOKUSAI-DORI.

HUNDREDS – MAYBE EVEN THOUSANDS - OF DANCERS PERFORM IN THESE VERY LENGTHY PARADES.

PERHAPS THE MOST FAMOUS INSTRUMENT IN OKINAWA IS THE SANSHIN. THIS THREE-STRINGED BANJO-LIKE INSTRUMENT CAME FROM CHINA TO OKINAWA IN THE 1400’S

THE SANSHIN IS TRADITIONALLY COVERED IN SNAKESKIN AND PROVIDES THE BACKDROP FOR MOST OKINAWAN SONG AND DANCE.

THE OKINAWAN MUSICAL TREE HAS MANY DISTINCT BRANCHES.

AT SHURI CASTLE WE WERE FORTUNATE TO SEE CENTURIES-OLD PERFORMANCES THAT WERE PERFORMED FOR THE RYUKYU ROYAL FAMILY. SOME OF THESE DANCES AND COSTUMES WERE ONLY PERMITTED TO BE USED IN PERFORMANCES FOR THE IMPERIAL COURT.

ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, THE ROOTS OF MANY OKINAWAN SONGS AND DANCES HAVE MORE HUMBLE ORIGINS. THEY COME FROM SMALL VILLAGES OF FARMERS AND FISHERMAN.

THE LYRICS AND MOVEMENTS TELL STORIES OF LIFE ON THE ISLANDS FOR THE PEASANTS AND WERE PERFORMED AT VARIOUS LOCAL CELEBRATIONS THROUGHOUT OKINAWA.

IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THIS MUSIC FIRSTHAND, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER STOPPING BY A MIN-YO CLUB – WHERE SEVERAL MUSICIANS PERFORM OKINAWAN FOLK SONGS WHILE THE AUDIENCE EATS AND DRINKS.

THESE EVENTS CAN BECOME VERY INTERACTIVE

WE HEAD OUT ON MY FAVORITE SONG – “HAI SAI OJI-SAN”