{{Short description|Music associated with the Okinawa Islands or Okinawa Prefecture}} {{nihongo|'''Okinawan music'''|沖縄音楽|Okinawa ongaku}} 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 Islands|Miyako]] and [[Yaeyama Islands]] in addition to the Okinawa Islands. It has its roots in the larger [[Ryukyuan music|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, Okinawa|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.<ref name="kumada2011c1">{{cite book |author=Kumada Susumu 久万田晋 |chapter=Okinawa ni okeru minzoku geinō kenkyū |script-chapter=ja:沖縄における民俗芸能研究 |title=Okinawa no minzoku geinō ron |script-title=ja:沖縄の民俗芸能論 |pages=7–35 |year=2011 |publisher=Borderink |language=ja }}</ref>
===Classical music=== [[File:Uzagaku.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Uzagaku]] {{nihongo|Ryukyuan classical music|琉球古典音楽|Ryūkyū koten ongaku}} was the court music of Ryūkyū. {{nihongo|''[[Uzagaku]]''|御座楽}} 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 [[Heterophony|heterophonic]] using a single melodic line. Pitched accompaniment instruments each play a simultaneous variation on the vocal line.<ref>{{cite book |title=Japanese Music and Musical Instruments |last=Malm |first=William P. |year=1959 |publisher=[[Tuttle Publishing|Charles E. Tuttle Company]] |location=[[Rutland (city), Vermont|Rutland, Vermont]] and [[Tokyo, Japan]] |isbn=0-8048-0308-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/japanesemusicmus00malm/page/245 245] |url=https://archive.org/details/japanesemusicmus00malm/page/245 |url-access=registration }}</ref><ref name="Tokita, A. & D. Hughes 2008 446">{{cite book|last=Tokita, A. & D. Hughes|title=The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music|year=2008|publisher=Ashgate|location=Farnham, UK|isbn=978-0-7546-5699-9|page=446|chapter=The Music of Ryukyu (ch.13, by Robin Thompson)}}</ref><ref name="Gillan 2012 238">{{cite book|last=Gillan|first=Matthew|title=Songs from the Edge of Japan: Music-Making in Yaeyama and Okinawa|year=2012|publisher=Ashgate|location=Farnham, UK|isbn=978-1-4094-2404-8|page=238}}</ref>
===Folk music=== Traditionally seen as "low culture" by the samurai class, {{Nihongo|Okinawan folk music|沖縄民謡}} 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.<ref name="kumada2011c1" />
Okinawa's folk songs are generally accompanied by one (or more) [[sanshin]].
The suffixes ''[[Ondo (music)|-ondo]]'' and ''[[Bushi (music)|-bushi]]'' (both meaning "song" or "melody") may also be attached to the title of folk songs, however songs named without these clarifiers are more common.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} [[Eisa (dance)|Eisā]] and [[kachāshī]] are Okinawan dances with specific music styles that accompany them.
;Warabi uta {{nihongo|[[Warabe uta|Warabi uta]]|童歌}} is a general term for nursery rhymes and children's songs.
===Popular music=== ====New folk songs==== {{nihongo|''"New min'yō"''|新民謡|shin min'yō}}, composed in the style of traditional Okinawan min'yō, have been written by several contemporary Okinawan folk musicians such as [[Rinshō Kadekaru]], [[Sadao China]], [[Shoukichi Kina]], [[Seijin Noborikawa]], and [[Tsuneo Fukuhara]]. These songs are often heard in contemporary pop music arrangements. {{nihongo|''Haisai ojisan''|ハイサイおじさん}}, with music and lyrics by Shōkichi Kina, is typical of this genre.
Okinawa's (new) folk songs are sometimes referred to as ''[[shima-uta]]''. The term is not native to Okinawa but was borrowed from its northern neighbor, the [[Amami Islands]], in the 1970s. The application of the term to Okinawan music is disfavored by people who see ''[[shima-uta]]'' as a regional brand of the Amami Islands.<ref name="takahashi2002">{{cite journal |author=Takahashi Miki 高橋美樹 |title="Shimauta" ni matsuwaru sho-gainen no seiritsu katei: Okinawa o chūshin to shite |script-title=ja:「しまうた」にまつわる諸概念の成立過程: 沖縄を中心として |journal=Okinawa bunka |script-journal=ja:沖縄文化 |volume=37 |number=2 |year=2002 |pages=1–54 |language=ja }}</ref>
====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|taiko drums]] such as {{nihongo|''[[shime-daiko]]''|締太鼓}}, {{nihongo|''hira-daiko''|平太鼓}}, and {{nihongo|''[[pārankū]]''|パーランクー}}. Pārankū, a small hand-held drum about the size of a tambourine, is often used in [[Eisa (dance)|eisā]] dancing.
Other percussion instruments such as {{nihongo|''[[sanba]]''|三板}}, {{nihongo|''[[yotsutake]]''|四つ竹}} and {{Nihongo|''[[hyōshigi]]''|拍子木}} 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 [[castanet]]s. ''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 [[Eisa (dance)|eisā]] dancing.<ref>[http://word.uruma.jp/word/%BB%CD%A4%C4%C3%DD/ Yotsutake: Okinawa Daihyakka 沖縄大百科] {{in lang|ja}}</ref>
A group of singers called a {{nihongo|''hayashi''|囃子}} often accompanies folk music, singing the chorus or interjecting shouts called {{nihongo|''[[kakegoe]]''|掛け声}}. Also [[Wolf-whistling|finger whistling]] called {{Nihongo|''yubi-bue''|指笛}} is common in [[kachāshī]] and [[Eisa (dance)|eisā]] dance tunes.
Additional instruments are often used in classical music, and sometimes incorporated in folk music:<ref name="Tokita, A. & D. Hughes 2008 446"/> * {{nihongo||箏, クトゥ|Kutu}} – an Okinawan version of the [[Koto (musical instrument)|koto]]; often called {{nihongo|''Ryūkyū sō''|琉球箏}} or {{nihongo|''Okinawa goto''|沖縄箏}} * {{nihongo||胡弓, クーチョー|Kūchō}} – an Okinawan version of the [[kokyū]]{{nihongo||胡弓, クーチョー|Kūchō}} * {{nihongo|2=笛|3=[[Fue (flute)|Fue]]}} – an Okinawan transverse flute; also called ''fansō'' (ファンソー) or {{nihongo|''ryūteki''|琉笛}}
==Tonality== ''The following is described in terms used in Western disciplines of music.''
Music from Okinawa uses tonal structure that is different in music from mainland Japan and Amami in particular the [[Interval (music)|intervalic]] content of the scales used.
The chief [[pentatonic scale]] used in mainland Japan, for example, uses scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, also known as Do, Re, Mi, So, and La in the [[Kodály]] system of [[solfeggio]]. This structure avoids [[Semitone|half step]] intervals by eliminating the fourth and seventh scale degrees.
In contrast, music from Okinawa is abundant in the half steps. Common structures used in Okinawan music are a pentatonic scale utilizing scale degrees 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, or Do, Mi, Fa, So, Ti, or a [[hexatonic scale]] with the addition of the second scale degree, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, Ti. Half steps occur between the third and fourth (Mi and Fa), and also the seventh and first (Ti and Do) scale degrees. In particular, the interval from 7 to 1, or Ti to Do is very common. A folk tune can often be recognized as being Okinawan by noting the presence of this interval.
==Notable Okinawan songs== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" |- align="center" ! width="150"| Title ! width="150"| [[Okinawan language|Okinawan name]] ! Notes |- | valign=top| "[[Tinsagu nu Hana]]" "Tinsaku no hana" <br>"Chinsagu nu hana" | valign=top| てぃんさぐぬ花 | "The Balsam Flowers"; a [[warabe uta]]; Okinawan children would squeeze the sap from [[Impatiens balsamina|balsam flowers]] to stain their fingernails. The lyrics of the song are [[Confucius|Confucian]] teachings. |- | valign=top| Ishinagu no uta | valign=top| 石なぐの歌 | "Pebble Song"; a [[ryūka]] poem written by [[Gushikawa Chōei]]; It is known for its thematic similarity to [[Kimigayo]], the national anthem of Japan. It uses the same melody as Kajyadifu. |- | "Tanchamee" | 谷茶前 | a song originating in the village of Tancha in [[Onna, Okinawa]] |-valign=top | [[Tooshin Dooi|"Tōshin dōi"]] | 唐船どーい | "A Chinese Ship Is Coming"; The most famous [[kachāshī]] dance song, it is often performed as the last song of an Okinawan folk music show.<ref name="Songs of Okinawa">{{cite AV media notes|title=Folk Songs of Okinawa (沖縄の民謡 Okinawa no minyō)|orig-year=1972|year=1990|first=正大|last=西角井|type=CD booklet|publisher=Victor Musical Industries|location=[[Tokyo, Japan]]}}</ref> |-valign=top | "Nākunī" | なーくにー | a lyrical song expressing deep longing |- | "Haisai ojisan" | ハイサイおじさん | a "new min'yō", music and lyrics by [[Shoukichi Kina]] |- | "Bye-bye Okinawa" | バイバイ沖縄 | music and lyrics by [[Sadao China]] |-valign=top | "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]] |-valign=top | "Akata Sun dunchi" <br> "[[Akata Sundunchi]]" | 赤田首里殿内 | "Inside [[Shuri, Okinawa|Shuri]] Temple in Akata Village", a traditional song about [[Maitreya]] Boddhisatva. It has become a popular children's song. |- | "Bashōfu" | 芭蕉布 | Bashoofu is Okinawan [[Musa basjoo|banana]] cloth. |-valign=top | "Kādikū" | 嘉手久 | a courtship [[kachāshī]] dance song |- | "Shichi-gwachi eisā" | 七月エイサー | an [[Eisa (dance)|eisā]] dance song |- | "Warabi-gami" | 童神 | a lullaby |- | "Shima nu hito" | 島ぬ女 | "Island Woman" |- | "Nishinjō bushi" | 西武門節 | written in 1933 by {{Nihongo|Matsuo Kawata|川田松夫}}<ref name="Songs of Okinawa"/> |-valign=top | "Kajadifū bushi" <br> "Kagiyadefī bushi" | かじゃでぃ風 <br> かぎやで風節 | a classical (koten) Okinawan dance song; Also called {{Nihongo|"Gojin fuu"|御前風}}, it was played before kings. It is commonly sung with an accompanying dance at Okinawan weddings today.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Music of Okinawa (南海の音楽・沖縄 Nankai no ongaku – Okinawa) |year=1991 |first=Atsumi |last=Kaneshiro |type=CD booklet |publisher=King Record Company |location=[[Tokyo, Japan]]}}</ref> |-valign=top | "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. |- | "Ten'yō bushi" | てんよー節 | A common song involving red and white flags played at the Obon Festival. |- | "[[Nada Sōsō]]" | 涙そうそう | "Great Tears Are Spilling", 2000 single with music by [[Begin (band)|Begin]], lyrics by [[Ryoko Moriyama]] |-valign=top | "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]] |-valign=top | "Kudaka" | 久高 | |-valign=top | "Ninjōbushi" | にんじょー節 | |-valign=top | "Futami Jōwa" | ふたみじょーわ | |}
==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 (The Boom)|Shima Uta]]'' * [[Cocco]] * [[High and Mighty Color]] * [[HY (band)|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 music|Dub]]. * [[DA PUMP]] * [[Fuzzy Control (band)|Fuzzy Control]] * [[RYUU-unit]] * [[Ryukyudisko]] * [[Fujiko Shuri]]
==Media== {{Listen |filename=Tinsagu nu Hana.mid | title = "Tinsagu nu Hana" | description = The traditional Okinawan song "Tinsagu nu Hana" }} {{clear}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.chicagookinawakenjinkai.com/Audio%20Page.html Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai: Okinawan Music] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708143656/http://www.chicagookinawakenjinkai.com/Audio%20Page.html |date=2011-07-08 }} – audio selections
{{Asia topic|Music of}} {{Music of Japan}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinawan music}} [[Category:Okinawan music| ]]