Yasukatsu Oshima went to India
Yasukatsu Oshima went to India in November 2009, with Kanako Hatoma and Satoshi 'Sunday' Nakasone, to perform in four cities, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata.
In India, five concerts and two cultural exchange programs were organized by The Japan Foundation, The Consulate General of Japan, Munbai, The Consulate General of Japan, Chennai, and The Consulate General of Japan, Kolkata, with the cooperation of the Embassy of Japan at New Delhi. The concerts in Chennai was organized with ABK-AOTS Dosokai and Tamil Nadu Centre.
More detailed information about the concerts is available on the "Okinawan Folksongs Performed in India" page of the Japan Foundation's website.
The concerts and the cultural exchange programs have been really successful. The musicians and the members of the tour would like to express their deepest gratitude to the audiences in India and to all the people who were involved in this tour.
Here are some of the newspaper articles on the concerts.
'Island songs in a coastal city' THE TIMES OF INDIA (November 18, 2009)
'Flavour of the islands' THE TIMES OF INDIA (December 2, 2009)
'From Okinawa with love' THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS (November 21, 2009)
'A Japanese song in Chennai' NEWS TODAY (November 18, 2009)
'Songs of the Soil' INDIAN EXPRESS(November 28, 2009)
In addition, the newspapers below carried articles on the concert.
DAILY THANTHI (November 18, 2009)
TAMIL SUDAR (November 18, 2009)
THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS (November 13, 2009) (November 14, 2009)
TRINITY MIRROR (November 13, 2009)
MAALAI SUDAR (November 18, 2009)
A newspaper website http://www.dinamalar.com is broadcasting a news video about the concert. The interviewee in this video is Mr. M. R. Ranganathan, the chairman of ABK-AOTS Dosokai, one of the organisers of the concert in Chennai. He has been engaged in cultural exchange between India and Japan for more than 30 years.
Photo: the press conference at Chennai
December 12, 2009 Concerts Radio, TV, Web Press, Magazines, Books
Yasukatsu Oshima solo concert in Okinawa (Japan)
Yasukatsu Oshima will give a solo concert in Naha City, Okinawa on November 22.
More detailed information is available on the "Schedule" page of this website.
Photo: Adan shoots (edible buds of Adan), the Yaeyama islands' food, called 'Andarufuki' in Shiraho, Ishigaki island. Adan (Pandanus odoratissimus, Pandanus fascicularis or Pandanus tectorius) is a species of Pandanus (screwpine) native to Okinawa. It is edible after boiling. We have to peel off the outside leaves which have saw-like margins. They are used in soups and stir-fried vegetable dishes.
December 12, 2009 Concerts
Yasukatsu Oshima's Official Website RSS feeds and Twitter page available
Yasukatsu Oshima's Official Website RSS feeds and Twitter page became available. Below are the URLs :
http://www.oshimayasukatsu.com/english/rss.xml ('News' page)
http://www.oshimayasukatsu.com/rss.xml ('お知らせ'page)
oshimayasukatsu.com Twitter account
These RSS feeds and Twitter page will bring you the latest updates of our website.
Photo:Keigo Saito
July 28, 2009 Radio, TV, Web
Yasukatsu Oshima available on iTunes
Yasukatsu Oshima's recordings became available on the iTunes Store in 22 countries (All the countries where iTunes Music Store is available, including The United States, The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Australia).
Below are the links to Yasukatsu Oshima's album pages on the iTunes Store in the United States.
Yasukatsu Oshima with Geoffrey Keezer
July 11, 2009 Radio, TV, Web
Yasukatsu Oshima concert in Hayama, Kanagawa (Japan)
Yasukatsu Oshima will give a concert in Hayama Town, Kanagawa on July 20 2009 ('Marine Day', Public Holiday).
The concert will be held in 'Blue Moon', a seaside clubhouse on the beach of Isshiki Kaigan (Isshiki Beach). Masahiro Takekawa will accompany Oshima on violin and mandolin.
More detailed information about the concert is available on the "Schedule" page of this website.
Isshiki Kaigan is a beautiful beach located on the south coast of the Miura Peninsula, about 50km south from the centre of Tokyo. (Hayama Town Office Homepage)
Yasukatsu Oshima has given a concert every year in 'Blue Moon' since its foundation in 1997 (Blue Moon Website , Blue Moon Staff Blog). It was Ms. Miwa Natori who invited Oshima to Blue Moon in 1997. In 1999, she became Director of Ban Rom Sai, a home for HIV positive orphans in Chiang Mai , Thailand . (Ban Rom Sai Website)
The Ban Rom Sai shop is open inside 'Blue Moon' (where Yasukatsu Oshima will perform) and Ban Rom Sai goods and crafts are available there. Purchasing these products will support Ban Rom Sai.
July 11, 2009 Concerts
Solo concert in Okinawa (Japan)
Yasukatsu Oshima will give a solo concert in Naha City, Okinawa in June.
More detailed information is available on the "Schedule" page of this website.
Photo: Keigo Saito
May 30, 2009 Concerts
Concert in Osaka (Japan)
Yasukatsu Oshima will give a concert in Osaka City after an interval of a year on April 11 2009.
The concert will be held at Yamamoto Nohgakudo (Yamamoto Noh Theater), the oldest Noh Theater in Osaka, which is authorized as a Japanese tangible heritage site.
Kanako Hatoma, the young female singer, also born in Yaeyama, will appear as a guest with Yasukatsu Oshima.
At this concert the musicians will perform without any Sound Reinforcement (SR) or Public Address (PA) systems, and they will sing without microphones.
"Kanako Hatoma is a young and brilliantly gifted singer with a strong personality. We have sung together many times since she was in her teens. I would like to sing many island songs with her, such as the duet songs of the Yaeyama Islands.
I hope you will enjoy our Shimauta concert at the Noh Theater".
Yasukatsu Oshima
Advance tickets are now on sale.
More detailed information is available on the 'Schedule' page of this website.
Photo: Keigo Saito (taken at Yamamoto Noh Theater)
February 02, 2009 Concerts
Guest appearance
Yasukatsu Oshima will appear as a guest at the concert of GONTITI "GONTITI 30th Anniversary TOUR 2008 -Very Special Ordinary Days- " in Naha city, Okinawa, on December 27.
Acoustic guitarists "GONZALEZ" Mikami and "TiTi"(pronounced Chi-Chi, as in the Charlie Parker masterpiece) Matsumura teamed up in Osaka in1978 to form "GONTITI".
This year is their 30th anniversary and they have released a new album "VSOD -Very Special Ordinary Days-" on August 6, 2008.
"GONTITI 30th Anniversary TOUR 2008 -Very Special Ordinary Days- Okinawa Ryubo Hall "
December 27, 2008
Opens 18:30, Starts 19:00
Advance ticket ￥4800
On the door ticket ￥5000
For inquiries please call 098-867-1171 (Ryubo Hall).
Ryubo Hall
Address: 7F Kumoji 1-1-1, Naha-shi, Okinawa, Japan
Phone: 098-867-1171
Fax: 098-867-1302
GONTITI's official website
This concert's page on the Harvest Farm Official Site (in Japanese only)
December 25, 2008 Concerts
Reply to the questionnaire in Urma (Japanese Magazine)
As already mentioned, Oshima's answers to the questionnaire were published in the Japanese magazine 'Urma'. We are now including the English translation on this site with the kind permission of the 'Urma' editorial department.
'Urma' is an 'Okinawan style magazine' published by Miura Creative. This issue celebrated the 10th anniversary of its foundation. A special feature focused on 'Sanshin life'. This issue introduced Okinawan music and its history together with an abundance of photos.
Yasukatsu Oshima's answers to the questionnaire are below. 'Urma' (Miura Creative) November 2008 (No.128). 10th anniversary special issue. 'Sanshin life'p.33.
(Answers: Yasukatsu Oshima. Translation: John and Midori Potter).
Question: Please recommend four Okinawan traditional music CDs, together with your reasons.
Answer:
1. Rinsho Kadekaru Tokushu . Rinsho Kadekaru. 1990. Marufuku Records/ACD-8.
This was recorded when Kadekaru was at his peak, and it includes some songs which he performs especially well such as Shirakumu Bushi and Sagechijuya. It is a wonderful album with a very good choice of songs in which Kadekaru's singing can really be enjoyed.
2. Churabiki . Seijin Noborikawa. 1991. Victor Entertainment/VICG-5164.
The first time I heard this album I was really surprised. There is frighteningly fast playing, natural rhythm, the sound of stability. The one and only Noborikawa at his highest level. The master Seigwa is really great.
3. Okinawa Ongaku Soran . (1st and 2nd volumes).Haruo Misumi (compiler). 2007. Columbia Music Entertainment/COCJ-34505-12, COCJ-34513-20.
Haruo Misumi, who is head of the Performing Arts Academy and a researcher of the performing arts, compiled these 16 CDs. In 1963 Misumi and others visited the Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama islands to record songs, the spoken word and the performing arts in many places. I have enormous appreciation for the fact that they have recorded so many of these sounds 45 years ago.
4. Sarabanjidemunu 35-sai . Masaharu Tamae. 2004. Agarikata Studio/TM-006.
The classical musician Masaharu Tamae made these recordings about nine or ten years after returning from the war. People in the neighbourhood copied these tapes for each other to enjoy. Finally the tapes were made into a CD . This CD made me feel nostalgic and I could also sense the atmosphere of the island people of those times for whom music was a reason for living, even under the harsh circumstances which still existed. I was brought up surrounded by music and people like that.
Q: How did you discover Okinawan traditional music?
A: In the environment of Shiraho, Ishigaki, where I was born and brought up, I had a relationship with Okinawan music through my family, people from the island, and through events and festivals. I think almost all of my senses were cultivated through island life and the performing arts .
Q: What is the attractiveness of Okinawan traditional music?
A: For a very long time Okinawan music has been a way of expressing daily life and the subtleties of human nature. It tells us of the importance of history. At the same time it is still a living thing as a means of expression and it provides us with a rich link to modern times.
Photo: 'Urma' (November 2008) Front cover. Rinsho Kadekaru.
November 04, 2008 Press, Magazines, Books
Solo concert in Toyama (Japan)
Yasukatsu Oshima will give a solo concert in Toyama City, Toyama in December.
More detailed information is available on the "Schedule" page of this website.
October 31, 2008 Concerts