“Nancha Mashi Mashi, Dianga Soi Soi” “Tanchame-Bushi” is a popular song among Okinawan people for song and dance with cheerful and comical rhythm. The workshop to enjoy dancing to “Tanchame-Bushi” will start in Ryukyu Mura. Let’s have a musical journey to enjoy untouched scenes of Okinawa.
photo: Jean Matsumoto
JOHN MATSUMOTO WEB SITE “CHAOS – OkinawaAmericaAsiA ~”
URL http://okinawamericasia.ti-da.net
It is also known as a song for Ryukyu Dance. In Meiji era in Okinawa, the song was performed before the theater play. “Tanchame-Bushi” is often played and danced together with a song called “Ikei-Hanari-Bushi” as melody songs. A monument stands at the beach in “Tancha,” known as the birthplace of the song.
Dressed in Bashofu (Banana fiber cloth), male dancers have “Eku”(oar), and female dancers have “Baki”(bamboo colander) full of fish and danced as if they were walking around to sell them. It’s a kind of “Zou Udui (common dance).” The rhythm is cheerful and comical. Names of places are sung in the third lyric and the name of place in lyrics often changed depending on the place the dance was performed. It demonstrates the improvisation of Okinawan folk songs.
Until the 1980s, women calling “Iyugwa Komichorani (Would you like fresh fish?)” were seen in many places in small allies. Even now, you are able to see some women calling the phrase trying to sell their fish at fish markets. We encourage you to visit a fish market during your trip. You might come across a peaceful scene of Okinawa. Written to the right is a part of lyrics of “Tanchame Bushi.”
The workshop to dance to “Tanchame Bushi” will start! The tie-up project by Ryukyu Mura and Okinawa Music Travel! The theme song of Ryukyu Mura between December to February is “Tanchame Bushi.” The workshop of “Tanchame Bushi” in which everybody can dance easily will be kicking off. A good point of Okinawan music is that everybody can join and enjoy together! Please experience Okinawan songs and scenes in Ryukyu Mura that we’d like to hand down for 100 years. We have just released our second original CD!