Here’s a new Okinawa hip-hop, rather Ryukyu hip-hop music, album (B-LUNCH 沖縄HIPHOP MIX CD) mixed by DJ KENTA and released on Lunch Boxxx Records. Pretty interesting stuff.
All things Ryūkyū pop culture
Here’s a new Okinawa hip-hop, rather Ryukyu hip-hop music, album (B-LUNCH 沖縄HIPHOP MIX CD) mixed by DJ KENTA and released on Lunch Boxxx Records. Pretty interesting stuff.
[updated] Video is no longer available since Avex pulled it. Hopefully, Avex will release an official version that fans can view.
PV of Namie Amuro’s song “Unusual” (featuring Tomohisa Yamashita) from her upcoming best collaboration album “Checkmate!” which will be released on March 23, 2011.
It’s only available as a partial album, and you can’t buy it in its entirety (meaning you’ll have to buy track by track — yes, silly indeed) but if you were holding out on the latest offering from Respect Record for Seijin Noborikawa, it’s now out on iTunes (link opens iTunes).
So, what’s missing? Disc 1 tracks #16 (“Yatchaagwa/Kaisaree”) and #18 (“Tubaraama/Seigwa no Rokushou Bushi”) and Disc 2 tracks #2 (“Chindara Bushi”/”Manganisutcha”), #8 (“Naakunii”/”Hantabaru”), and #16 (“Yunta Medley”). Yeah, you may be better off buying the CD. So who can we complain to about this? Respect Record?!
Pop group BEGIN celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut this year, and they have now announced the simultaneous release of two special albums to celebrate that milestone. Titled “BEGIN 20th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL TRIBUTE ALBUM” and “BEGIN 20th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL COVER ALBUM,” the albums are scheduled to go on sale on March 2, 2011.
The members of BEGIN are originally from Okinawa, so the “SPECIAL TRIBUTE ALBUM” will have an all-Okinawa theme. The artists known to be participating are MONGOL800, Cocco, Kariyushi 58, MAX, ISSA (DA PUMP), Chiharu Tamashiro (Kiroro), D-51, Yanawaraba, Isamu Shimoji, 2side1BRAIN, Ponytail Ribbons, and BOURBONZ. The album’s jacket will feature actress Manami Higa, who also hails from Okinawa.
The “SPECIAL COVER ALBUM,” on the other hand, will not be limited to Okinawan artists. The album includes Yoshimi Tendo, Hiromi Iwasaki with Chikuzen Sato, Sayuri Ishikawa, Ayakaji, Sansanar, Kaori Nakata, Rimi Natsukawa, Aya Ueto, Takeshi Tsuruno, Keiko Toda, SISTER KAYA, and Tokiko Kato. Another Okinawan actress, Tomi Taira, will appear on the jacket.
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Both albums look like must haves but of course, we’re most excited about the tribute album, you know, since Manami Higa will be on the cover. Hopefully there will be a track listing up for each album soon so stay tuned here or keep a lookout on BEGIN’s official website or their record label’s website. And, most importantly, remember to mark your calendar for the album’s release date: March 2, 2011. Oh, one thing that looks promising is the price of the albums: ¥2,400 (instead of the norm of about ¥3,000).
There are two special wallpapers celebrating the June 9th release of Stereopony’s second album, “Over the Border,” from their record label Sony Music. Download them soon as they are available for a limited time.
Shuken “Gen-chan” Maekawa’s upcoming album is titled “Korekara mo Kanasandoo” and will be released on April 6, 2010, from Campus Record. The album will contain a total of 18 tracks including his hits “Ashibinaa” and “Kanasandoo.”
Seijin Noborikawa’s “Fountain of Songs” — his first original album in two years — will be released on April 14, 2010, from Respect Record. The album will have a total of 12 tracks including five written by the utasaa legend.
Be sure to check out his albums that are already available at the iTunes Store (Fauta.net).
It’s hard to believe that two years have passed since Kazutoshi Matsuda released his debut album, “Diigunii” on June 15, 2007. Come Sanshin Day (March 3rd) in 2010, Kazutoshi will be releasing his second album titled “Uta Michi Aruki” on Tundami Label. Featuring a total of 12 tracks, the album will feature a pop rock sound (Ryūkyū Pop) compared to his debut album. The album is priced at ¥2,700.
Track list is as follows:
The PV below is for the song “Michi” which will be on the new album.
Namie Amuro’s “PAST < FUTURE” was the top selling album this past week, with close to 331,000 units sold. At the age of 32, she has now become the first female solo artist to achieve #1 with an original album in her 10s, 20s, and 30s. She had three of them before her 20th birthday in 1997, followed by a couple more in 2000 and 2007. […]
Miyakojima folk singer, Hirara, who performed at this year’s Okinawan Festival in Honolulu, released her debut mini album, “Kanikubata,” on December 1, 2009. The album is currently sold in Okinawa and contains a total of six tracks including “Kanikubata” and “Tsuki ni Negai wo” — both featured in CMs for the awamori Kiku no Tsuyu.
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