Shinayakani…Shimauta is the debut album by Okinawan singer, Narise Arakaki, who is from Yaese in the south of the main island. Arakaki began singing and playing sanshin when she was just seven years old and went on to gather several awards. She was also a winner of the annual ‘Ashimiji Bushi’ song contest.
In fact, she first came to my attention with her wonderful recording of the song ‘Ashimiji Bushi’ which was included on the Okinawan Shimauta CD compilation presented at WOMEX 2016 in Galicia, Spain. That year she also recorded a duet with Hajime Nakasone on his song ‘Ichihata nu Kui’. New recordings of both these songs are included on the album along with ten other tracks.
There is a cast of nine supporting musicians on the album as well as some lively percussion from the Yaese-cho Aragusuku Seinenkai on ‘Ashimiji Bushi’. The increasingly ubiquitous Hajime Nakasone reprises his duet with her and there are two other duets with male singers: she is joined by Masahiro Kuniyoshi for the traditional ‘Nakuni-Kaisare’ and sings with Takayuki Oshiro on ‘Kabira Bushi’.
It must have been a busy recording studio but the album itself is never overdone. Quite the opposite. Most of the performances are kept simple and straightforward with Arakaki’s clear voice and sanshin always a strong presence. As the title suggests, the selections are mostly shimauta by various composers. Three songs have music by Tsuneo Fukuhara. The plaintive ‘Yaachii’ is one of them and is especially moving, but Arakaki interprets everything with great skill.
Her solo recording debut is already a bit overdue as she has been singing, playing, and performing Okinawan songs for most of her life. Managing to sound fresh while drawing on the living traditions of the islands’ music, she can be rightly proud of this album.
Shinayakani…Shimauta is released by Miri Records and is out now.
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