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Akita Nikata Bushi

秋田荷方節

[Genre]Min'yo
[School]Min'yo

History (Takahashi Yujiro):

A party song from Niigata Prefecture spread to Akita, where Asano Umewaka wed the free-rhythm song to a driving, rhythmic shamisen part, elaborated and accelerated to become one of Japan's most virtuosic instrumentals. The shamisen, as the "star", is usually mixed louder than the voice. Like "Esashi Oiwake", this song's title contains two place names, revealing its present and previous locales: "Nikata" is a corruption of "Niigata".

In Niigata's Yamamachi, the old granny flower seller doesn't sell flowers, she sells oil.
The cherry tree in the manor on the high mountain: its seven branches bloom eightfold.

Akita Nikata Bushi appears on the following albums

Album Artist
Play ButtonMin'yo - Folk Song from Japan - Takahashi Yujiro and friends Shakuhachi : Takahashi Yujiro
A party song from Niigata Prefecture spread to Akita, where Asano Umewaka wed the free-rhythm song to a driving, rhythmic shamisen part, elaborated and accelerated to become one of Japan's most virtuosic instrumentals. The shamisen, as the "star", is usually mixed louder than the voice. Like "Esashi Oiwake", this song's title contains two place names, revealing its present and previous locales: "Nikata" is a corruption of "Niigata".

In Niigata's Yamamachi, the old granny flower seller doesn't sell flowers, she sells oil.
The cherry tree in the manor on the high mountain: its seven branches bloom eightfold.

Copyright 1999 - Dr David W. Hughes
e-mail dh6@soas.ac.uk
Play ButtonShakuhachi Min'yo

Shakuhachi Minyo - Okuni Meguri - Vol 4 Shakuhachi : Yoneya Iwao

Tōhoku Min’yō Dai Zenshū vol. 4 Shakuhachi : Katō Shōfū
Shamisen : Asano Umewaka
Voice : Asano Kazuko