Osharaku

Available as a two-disc CD or 12” vinyl, this compilation is the latest in an ongoing preservation series by EM Records and Riyo Mountains. It is an exhaustive collection of Japanese folk and popular songs in the style known as osharaku. An umbrella term for various regional folk music practices, osharaku is a joyful mix of song, dance and acting, performed by amateur musicians, farmers and fishermen, for local entertainment.

Primarily accompanied by shamisen (three-stringed lute), taiko (percussion), and kane (hand bells), the songs feature a number of different singers – many of whom were born during the Meiji period (1868-1912). Lyrically, the songs are both humorous and celebratory – telling stories of life, work, young love, and the minutiae of everyday existence. As the recordings were made during the 1960s and 70s, and were captured rather crudely, the quality can vary somewhat, though this only adds to the charm and warmth the performances exude.

On the second disc, which is more orientated towards solo singing, the recordings were made in the elderly practitioners' homes. As such, the album captures between-song conversation and laughter, with one song even being drowned out completely by a passing aeroplane. The informality of the recordings and performances lends the album a wonderful sense of time and place – especially given that this style of local music was disappearing even then. The CD edition of the compilation comes with a generous 60-page booklet, with extensive liner notes and photographs, giving ample social context for the music and the preservation process.