sure . . . and that sounds interesting Kyoko I can wait easily for a future elaboration after all I am getting drunk this evening and also good to hear in another post from you that good coffee can be found also in japan I hope you gave Kevin some pointers then . . . other than about coffee the older clip below is one in which Kevin focuses on the often heard in tsugaru ushirobachi and maebachi accentuation for dynamic playing options here in the context of the famous rokudan piece . . .
Wow. Sounds like something that happened to an acquaintance of mine, he mentioned bluegrass fiddle music to his classically trained violin teacher and she pretty much told him it was an unrefined style played by hillbillies!
Yes, Tsugaru Shamisen is kind of the equivalent of what hillbilly music is in America, in the eyes of some Japanese. I personally don’t understand that at all though. I mean how can you say one is more refined? Is it meaning one style is more spiritual than another? If that’s the case the folk music (hillbilly/Tsugaru etc.) is just as spiritual if not more because it is all about uplifting the spirits of the common people! It all depends on what you are going through in life. Sometimes so called more “refined” or cultural/ traditional/ classical music can move you in a good way and other times I think we really need music that just activates or instincts as humans and as part of nature and the animal kingdom. I personally thrive on pop, folk, metal, hip hop, punk whatever! I think it’s all exciting! Even though I’ve been trained in both traditional western harmony/theory as well as traditional Shamisen technique. But for me the real fun begins once you can tear down all boundaries and just have fun with all of it equally!
The guy playing at Ueno park is called, “Pierr Ono”, he is a member of the unit called “Seshami Street”, but looks like he plays in another unit as well, called “Orando” which the sign board says in the video. I don’t really know much about Orando , but seshami street is pretty popular with their acrobatic style 
( if you are not sure of what I’m talking about, you search their performance, pretty amazing to see what they can do!)
Here is Pierr Ono’s website: http://t200000.wix.com/pierreono#
Seshami Street:このページは移転しました
Seshami street web site was garbled on my computer, but see if it work on yours.
Thank you, Sayuri, I’ll look that up as soon as I get home. I loved that guy!
I must admit. I practice the Tsugaru style, and yes, I am evil.
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I have a nagauta with pretty white wings on one shoulder, and a tsuguru with devil horns on the other! Oh noes! What a dilemma!
I am so sorry to be late in talking about blind female GOZE shamisen players.
According to my Mom, people in her area were all usually looking forward to having Goze entertainers probably once a year. At that time, no TV no radio, nothing entertaining, just work and work and work, in their farmland.
As a child Mom experienced looking adults give them some food or rice in return and they had some special house in the area to stay for a while.
I looked wekipedia and it says the same thing in Niigata, Nagano and Gifu prefecture.Mom’s hometown is Nakatsugawa, Gifu.
Mom says people in the area usually serve them food in plates that are special for Goze people. But my mother’s mom, who happens to be my grandmother, said they are all the same people like us and let us use our plates. Washing the plates and cups cleans everything.
My grandma can be very generous or accepting everyone, or just lazy to prepare special extra plates for them. I am happy to inherit her DNA.
I often to see my mother and if you have any questions, please ask me. She is now 85 years old and quite fine. I am happy to make as much interview as I can while she is alive.
does she remember anything about what tunes they would play?
and thanks for sharing that post I laughed 2 times and what a nice way anyway of your mother’s mom of treating the goze players . . .
Here is Goze history.
And, BH, I will try an interview on Mom!
Oh, Kyoko, what a treat to hear such stories! I look forward to hearing more from your mom! I lost both my grandmother and great grandmother a few years ago (they were Japanese, from Fukuoka). I wish I had known about shamisen and music back then and thought to ask them to teach me. My great grandmother taught shamisen to geisha. You are so lucky to have your mom. Please tell us any more interesting things she has to say. I’d love to see some Goze songs if anyone has any charts!
And thank you for that link. I’m going to watch it now.
The video said it was filmed showa 46 nen, which is 1971, only a few years before I was born. I don’t recall such culture - well, probably it was not a thing happening around my hometown, but realsied how much the world has changed since then. Funny I didn’t grow up experiencing Goza-san’s songs, but they makes me feel somehow nostalgic. It’s a little sad now adays not so many Goze-san around any more, while Tsugaru style shamisen is alive again and lots of young people are taking it up.
The video was really beautiful to watch, thank you!
Sayuri, what was the title of the film? (I don’t read or speak Japanese). Do you think its possible to find the whole thing? I’d really like to see it . I loved the song they were singing. It was very reminiscent of Appalachian folk music, especially in the vocal characteristics.
This is really good - there are 3 mp3s on this site of Goze music, and a lovely history with photos.
Hi Lorraine, the title of this video is called " We can hear Goze’s singing". Basically saying, these blind ladies spent whole their lives travelling and singing for the farm people who didn’t have much entertainment such as TV or radio in those days. This was filmed in 1971, while the Japan’s economy was growing so fast, the scenery of countryside was about to change hugely.
Thank you Sayuri, again! I would really love to see the whole movie - athough, I would have to have someone translate it for me - not a problem. I loved the music of the Goze - it reminded me a little bit of Appalachian singing, especially the way the women vocalized, with drawn out and slightly flat intonations - but with lots of overtones - BEAUTIFUL! Here is an example, (with a man singing, though). It’s music from the mountains, and from “country folk”. Deeply resonant and feeling …
I believe the Abbot Brothers (Kyle, Luke, and co.) sing such music as well.
Also found out there is a movie entitled 「竹山ひとり旅」(Lone travel of Chikuzan). It must be a very good movie and I will lok for a DVD.
Yeeeeeees! That’s the one I have always wanted to watch, Kyoko-san! I’ve seen the trailer on Youtube. I guess the only way to watch it is buying DVD through Amazon???
Oh you guys have got to be kidding me! Right now…I mean “Right in this moment!” I am watching Chikuzan Hitoritabi! Received the DVD copy about a week ago. Then thought, hmm. I should write something on bachido. That’s a very interesting synchronicity. so far it starts with the real Chikuzan talking and playing. My God! This is some of his best playing . I’ve listened to Chikuzan a lot but something about this movie’s introduction. Really…it’s an Amazing example of Chikuzan at his best! Wow!
Did you ever see the “Friends” episode where Ross keeps putting his fingers to his temple, and saying he has a ninja prescience called “UNAGI”?
Unagi, my friend - we have UNAGI! (Actually, I wish I had some unagi right now.'I’m hungry.)
Seriously, though, thank you guys for all this info! This music is amazing, and the more I play and hear, the more I want to play and hear more! I’m very interested in Goze music. What I heard in the clip up above sounds wonderful!
Kevin, could you post the intro to that film without violating any copyrights? I’d love to see what you’re talking about.
HAHAHA, found it. Here on bachido.com, we have a state of TRUE AWARENESS - unagiiiii …
