Shima uta
Encyclopedia
is a 1992 song by the Japan
ese band The Boom
. It was written by the lead singer, Kazufumi Miyazawa, based on his impressions from visiting Okinawa for a photo shoot. It is the band's best selling song, well-known throughout Japan and Argentina
, and one of the most widely known songs associated with Okinawa. The band members are all from Yamanashi Prefecture
and the song uses a mix of modern pop and rock styles as well as min'yō
. Okinawan musical instruments and Okinawan vocabulary have been incorporated into the song. Although the title Shima Uta which is originally a term for traditional music from the Amami Islands
, the term Shima Uta is currently used for traditional music from the Ryukyu Islands
.
, Rimi Natsukawa
, Tokiko Kato
, Alfredo Casero
, Plastiko, Diana King
and Andrew W.K.
.
, traditional dancers and singers, and China Sadao as sanshin
player/min'yō singer. Gackt is a trained min'yō singer and sang in the traditional shima uta style, as did Miyazawa in the studio version of the song.
won three awards at Premios Gardel, the "Argentine Grammy Awards." In 2002 the Casero version was voted the theme song for the Argentina football (soccer) team 's 2002 FIFA World Cup
. It was included on the official FIFA album despite the fact that it was not a new release. A Japanese football fan club, Ultras Nippon, also used Shima Uta as their theme song. "Shima Uta" was the first Argentine hit song to be sung entirely in Japanese. It stayed on the top of the charts for six months. Miyazawa and Casero sing together in concert when Miyazawa tours Brazil and Argentina.
recorded his own version of the song for his album The Japan Covers. It uses the same translation as Izzy Cooper used in her versions, adding the dedication line at the end. He performs the song over synthesizers.
.
In another interview, Miyazawa explained that most Okinawan casualties were not caused by American troops, but by Japan's instructions to commit suicide rather than surrender.
While the song does not specify who the people being separated are, Miyazawa stated in the 2002 interview, "It is about the separation of a man and a woman, a separation that they couldn't control, and didn't want."
in the 1970s. Later, he asked friends to bring him tapes from the island, as Okinawan music was not readily available in Japan. Miyazawa said in the 2003 interview,
Miyazawa plays the sanshin
, the Okinawan precursor to the shamisen
, when singing Shima Uta in concert.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese band The Boom
The Boom
The Boom is a Japanese rock band. Its members are Kazufumi Miyazawa , Kobayashi Takashi , Yamakawa Hiromasa , and Tochigi Takao .-History:...
. It was written by the lead singer, Kazufumi Miyazawa, based on his impressions from visiting Okinawa for a photo shoot. It is the band's best selling song, well-known throughout Japan and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and one of the most widely known songs associated with Okinawa. The band members are all from Yamanashi Prefecture
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
and the song uses a mix of modern pop and rock styles as well as min'yō
Min'yo
is a genre of traditional Japanese music. The term is a translation of the German word "Volkslied" and has only been in use during the twentieth century...
. Okinawan musical instruments and Okinawan vocabulary have been incorporated into the song. Although the title Shima Uta which is originally a term for traditional music from the Amami Islands
Amami Islands
The are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan...
, the term Shima Uta is currently used for traditional music from the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
.
Versions
The song has been covered by many artists, including GacktGackt
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....
, Rimi Natsukawa
Rimi Natsukawa
is an Okinawan singer. She is best known for her 2001 single "Nada Sōsō."- Childhood :Natsukawa was born in Ishigaki, the largest city in the Yaeyama Islands chain. From a young age she enjoyed singing, and wanted to be a singer after hearing her father sing Yaeyama folk songs, such as and...
, Tokiko Kato
Tokiko Kato
, is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist, and actress. She graduated from the University of Tokyo, and worked as a visiting professor at Josai International University.- Filmography :# Izakaya Chōji .... Shigeko...
, Alfredo Casero
Alfredo Casero
Alfredo Casero is an Argentine musician, actor and comedian.Casero began studying acting with Norman Briski in 1987. Soon after he started working in the underground humour scene of Buenos Aires...
, Plastiko, Diana King
Diana King
Diana King is a reggae fusion singer-songwriter who specifically performed a mixture and fusion of R&B, reggae, pop and dancehall...
and Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K. is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entertainer, and motivational speaker. He is the host of the television series Destroy Build Destroy.-Early life & career:Andrew Wilkes-Krier was born in Stanford, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
.
Gackt
The Gackt version features taiko drumsTaiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
, traditional dancers and singers, and China Sadao as sanshin
Sanshin
The sanshin is an Okinawan musical instrument and precursor of the Japanese shamisen. Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings....
player/min'yō singer. Gackt is a trained min'yō singer and sang in the traditional shima uta style, as did Miyazawa in the studio version of the song.
Alfredo Casero
The 2001 version by CaseroAlfredo Casero
Alfredo Casero is an Argentine musician, actor and comedian.Casero began studying acting with Norman Briski in 1987. Soon after he started working in the underground humour scene of Buenos Aires...
won three awards at Premios Gardel, the "Argentine Grammy Awards." In 2002 the Casero version was voted the theme song for the Argentina football (soccer) team 's 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. It was included on the official FIFA album despite the fact that it was not a new release. A Japanese football fan club, Ultras Nippon, also used Shima Uta as their theme song. "Shima Uta" was the first Argentine hit song to be sung entirely in Japanese. It stayed on the top of the charts for six months. Miyazawa and Casero sing together in concert when Miyazawa tours Brazil and Argentina.
Andrew W.K.
American musician Andrew W.K.Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K. is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entertainer, and motivational speaker. He is the host of the television series Destroy Build Destroy.-Early life & career:Andrew Wilkes-Krier was born in Stanford, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
recorded his own version of the song for his album The Japan Covers. It uses the same translation as Izzy Cooper used in her versions, adding the dedication line at the end. He performs the song over synthesizers.
Origin
In a 2003 interview for fRoots, Miyazawa explained that he got the idea for the song after speaking with Okinawan survivors of the US invasion of Okinawa during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In another interview, Miyazawa explained that most Okinawan casualties were not caused by American troops, but by Japan's instructions to commit suicide rather than surrender.
While the song does not specify who the people being separated are, Miyazawa stated in the 2002 interview, "It is about the separation of a man and a woman, a separation that they couldn't control, and didn't want."
Okinawan influence
Miyazawa first heard Okinawan-influenced music from Haruomi HosonoHaruomi Hosono
, also known as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese popular musician, best known internationally as a key member of the rock band Happy End and the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra.-Biography:...
in the 1970s. Later, he asked friends to bring him tapes from the island, as Okinawan music was not readily available in Japan. Miyazawa said in the 2003 interview,
Miyazawa plays the sanshin
Sanshin
The sanshin is an Okinawan musical instrument and precursor of the Japanese shamisen. Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings....
, the Okinawan precursor to the shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
, when singing Shima Uta in concert.
Discography
- 1992 - Shima Uta (Uchināguchi version), 9th single
- 1993 - Shima Uta (Original version), 11th single
- 2002 - Shima Uta Shima Uta, 26th single