I collected some YouTube videos featuring Okinawan songs, hoping that people who have never been to Okinawa can hear some portion of this island's music. (Okinawa was an independent kingdom up until 1879 when the kingdom nation was annexed to Japan. Okinawa, a group of many islands, is the southernmost prefecture of Japan.)
Singer: Suguru Ikeda
Song Title: Shimanoh Hotoyo (Oh, Island People)
His song is a message to islands' people who left their home islands for lucrative life in large cities. Come back to your native island once in a while and let's take part in village festivals we enjoyed so much when we were young. Don't forget our festival songs. Never forget your native island. Oh, island people...This simple but straight message/song moves my heart.
Singer: Misako Koja
Song Title: Warabigami (My Precious Baby, A Gift From Heaven)
Misako Koja used be the leader of a quartet called "Ne-Nez" (Sisters). The first generation Ne-Nez disbanded many years ago, and currently the second generation Ne-Nez are active. Misako Koja came up with this song when she was blessed with her first grandchild. A baby is a great blessing given to a mother by heaven, the lyric begins. Maternal instinct is beautifully expressed in such a simple language. The lyrics are well-translated into English and beautifully sung by Hayley Westenra from New Zealand (Her YouTube clip posted below). I'm glad that she decided to sing this song so that we can share the music with English-speaking people.
Singer: Hayley Westenra
Singer: Rimi Natukawa
Song Title: Hana (Flower To Everyone's Heart)
Written by: Shoukichi Kina
This song was a big hit almost 20 years ago in Japan, so it could be categorized as a classic J-pop. Where does the body of water that I see in a river travel? Where do all Let yourself cry, and let yourself laugh. Cry and laughter are all part of your life and all too natural for us as human being...so goes the lyric. This gentle overview of human life duplicates with an image of one of the most beautiful natural phenomena, flower, a universally shared positive image which is nicely put into the English language and successfully sung by Heylay.
Singer: Hayley Westenra
Singer: Rimi Natsukawa
Song Title: Nada Sou Sou
Lyrics by: Ryoko Moriyama
Music by: BEGIN
Ryuko Moriyama is a talented Japanese jazz singer who can write clear messages. Although she is from the mainland Japan, she learned some Okinawan words through her regular visits to this southern prefecture. As she made many musician friends in Okinawa, she asked a famous Okinawan band called BEGIN to set her lyrics to music. The singer Rimi Natsukawa made many travel to BEGIN's studio, pleading them to let her sing the beautiful song. Currently, this song is sung by singers in many countries in many languages, including Hayley in English (below).
Singer: Hayley Westenra
Song Title: Nada Sou Sou (Tears For You)
