Happy New Year!
Yes, I'm a day or two late, but we all need some recovery time after a new years party, right?I hope everyone had a wonderful 2013! It was certainly a very productive year at Bachido. Let’s look at some highlights!
The Community
Honestly, I’m still in awe of the Bachido Community. Since Bachido launched in 2011, shamisen enthusiasts (beginners to advanced) have been daily gathering together on the forum to share their knowledge and ideas. Everyone supports and encourages each other to learn, and they warmly greet new members just entering Bachido. What a family!
Seeing that there are many members living quite near each other, one of my goals in 2014 is to start bringing us together in person, and establishing real life communities of shamisen enthusiasts. Excitement from our first workshop (shown above) was very encouraging!
Shamisen Courses
My main goal of 2013 was to create a large collection of online shamisen courses so anyone could easily learn Japanese folk songs and shamisen techniques in their home. In hindsight, the combination of intense video editing with shamisen and volleyball was the recipe for carpel tunnel, but after seeing all courses made in a year? It was worth it!
The Nitta Phrasebook - by Nitta Masahiro (Released: Jan 2nd, 2014)
Jonkara Bushi (Shin) (November 2013)
Jonkara Bushi (Kyu) (October 2013
The Nitta Ryu Intensive Technique Pack - by Nitta Masahiro (September 2013)
Kase no Yakko Odori (September 2013)
World Scales - by Kevin Kmetz (August 2013)
Advanced Kamashi (April 2013)
Tosa no Sunayama (March 2013)
Yasaburo Bushi (March 2013)
Sakura (March 2013)
Ringo Bushi (February 2013)
New Year's Special!
Today, I’ve just completed The Nitta Phrasebook. In this course, Masahiro Nitta demonstrates fifty-four professional-grade and original phrases to add exciting flavor to your musical arrangements! He presents each phrase at slow and fast speeds. PDFs are also included to help you learn every note!
The Nitta Phrasebook is perfect for developing your Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi arrangements or other songs. And to celebrate the New Year, this $29.95 course will be $10 OFF until Jan.12th! Sha-zam!
Check out The Nitta Phrasebook today! - http://bachido.com/lessons/nitta-phrase/
If you have any ideas for courses you’d like to be made, please let me know!
Monsters of Shamisen: Stellar
In July, Monsters of Shamisen released their second full album, Stellar. It is a fresh fusion of world music and original compositions. It features amazing tsugaru shamisen arrangements from Masahiro Nitta and Kevin Kmetz (I did my best to keep up), authentic tuvan throat singing, and international vocals and instrumentation. Really pleased with how it turned out, and hope you like it too! - http://bachido.com/products/albums
More Albums?
Expect to hear more sweet tunes in 2014!Monsters of Shamisen will be releasing their next album (Resonance) in Early 2014.
I’m completing a short solo album which I hope to release in Mid 2014!
Finally, I have the pleasure to collaborate with Aki Takahashi of Ten Ten Canada (Minyo vocalist / shamisen player) in recording a duet album which is sure to rock!
Tour of Team Bachido
In May, twenty Bachido members from around the world joined together to make history - to compete in the All-Japan Tsugaru Shamisen Tournament in Hirosaki, Japan! Foreigners have entered the Individual division before, but this was the first time foreigners and Japanese (all Bachido members) joined together to enter the Group division.
Being that we’re an international team and our first meeting was a few days before showtime, was it even possible for us to perform as a unified group? Long story short, yes! Everyone practiced diligently for months, so it only took a few rehearsals to be ready to hit the stage!
I’m happy to say that Team Bachido was graciously received and took third place! For our first time competing as a group, that is amazing! Everyone did tremendously well and we’re eager to be going back again in 2014!
That’s right, Team Bachido will return to the All-Japan Tournament in May! Following the Tournament will be the first ever Bachido Festival in Sapporo, Japan! We will be starting sign-ups soon, so whether you are a beginner or advanced player, consider joining us this year! It is a great opportunity to experience Japan and to be surrounded by shamisen!
Team Bachido member Josh made a nice video blog of the Team Bachido tour of 2013.
Looking Forward
And now we come to 2014! The year has just begun and it is already filled with many exciting events which I believe will shape the future of the shamisen. As I said, it is an exciting time to be a shamisen player!
Thank you for all your support and involvement this past year. Whether you have a shamisen, dreaming of playing one, and/or just found out about it, your interest and enthusiasm carries Bachido forward!
Bachi on!!
