Music—East Asia, Ryukyuan
The Ryukyu Islands, the largest of which is Okinawa, form the long archipelago situated to the south of the Japanese mainland. Until the late nineteenth century this group of islands was an independent kingdom that maintained strong links with both China and Japan. This unique environment allowed the arts of the kingdom, especially music, to develop in a special way, incorporating traditional Chinese and Japanese elements. Some of the plots of formal Ryukyuan drama are influenced by Noh, a traditional form of Japanese dance-drama.
Essentially, the music of the Ryukyu chain can be divided into two broad categories: court and folk music. With court music, the primary form is further divided into formal songs accompanied by the music of a sanshin (three-stringed lute with snakeskin) and dance repertoire. The dance category itself is further divided into subcategories in terms of style (for the old, for the young, for men, for women) and folk derivation. Court music and dance have also been adopted into a formal drama type, known as kumiodori, in which song, music, and dance are integrated into a carefully structured artistic framework.
Over the centuries, Ryukyuan folk song and dance have been adapted to different circumstances and evolved into a variety of styles—religious rituals, secular entertainment, love songs, lullabies, epic poem-songs, and the like—which do not necessarily incorporate the sanshin. Ryukyuan classical music is still listened to and performed by a large number of people in Okinawa. In addition, it has been accepted widely in mainland Japan as a kind of exotic music since the 1980s. Based on traditional elements, a new style of Okinawan pop music, enjoyed by Okinawans and mainland Japanese, has been created by younger generations of Okinawans.
Further Reading
Nippon Hoso Kyokai, ed. (1993) Nippon Min'yo Taikan (Okinawa-Amami): Amami Shoto-hen (A Survey of Japanese Folksongs [Okinawa–Amami Islands]: Amami Islands Volume). Tokyo: Nippon Hoso Shuppan Kyokai.
——. (1991) Nippon Min'yo Taikan (Okinawa-Amami): Okinawa Shoto-hen (A Survey of Japanese Folksongs [Okinawa–Amami Islands]: Okinawa Islands Volume): Tokyo: Nippon Hoso Shuppan Kyokai.
——. (1990) Nippon Min'yo Taikan (Okinawa-Amami): Miyako Shoto-hen (A Survey of Japanese Folksongs [Okinawa–Amami Islands]: Miyako Islands Volume). Tokyo: Nippon Hoso Shuppan Kyokai.
——. (1989) Nippon Min'yo Taikan (Okinawa-Amami): Yaeyama Shoto-hen (A Survey of Japanese Folksongs [Okinawa–Amami Islands]: Yaeyama Islands Volume). Tokyo: Nippon Hoso Shuppan Kyokai.
This is the complete article, containing 375 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
