Ryūkyū Folk Songs

Ryukyuan folk song uses a distinct pentatonic scale — popularly the Ryukyuan scale, with do, mi, fa, sol, ti — that gives the music its immediately recognisable cast. The sanshin, a three-string snakeskin-bodied lute, provides accompaniment with a much more relaxed rhythmic feel than the mainland Japanese shamisen. Vocal delivery sits high in the range, often with nasal resonance, and stretches single syllables across multiple notes. Tempos are moderate to slow; many songs treat the working lives of farmers and fishers and the parting griefs of small island communities.

The Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879) maintained tributary relations with Ming and Qing China and an autonomous Okinawan court culture. After forced annexation by Japan in 1879 and especially after the devastation of the 1945 Battle of Okinawa and the subsequent US occupation, the music became a vehicle for asserting Ryukyuan identity. Kadekaru Rinshō (1920-1999) and Nakasone Genwa carried the village-level repertoire through this period, and Rinkenband and Begin later brought it to a mass Japanese audience.

On Kadekaru Rinshō's Asadoya Yunta, the high-pitched, slightly nasal voice and the gently rhythmic sanshin together describe the song's mixed emotional register — a women's work song that contains both joy and sadness. Note how the sanshin breathes rather than locking to a strict pulse.

Kadekaru Rinshō's Asadoya Yunta as a starting point, then the Rinkenband group arrangement to hear how the same song moves from solo to ensemble. Best near sunset with a window open.

The origin of the sanshin is contested — Chinese sanxian, Southeast Asian and even Persian ancestors have been proposed — and no single account commands consensus.