Amamiaynu / Amamiaynu (LP)

The analog LP of "Amamiaynu," a collaboration album of Amami folk songs and Ainu music produced by OKI, is finally on sale!

"Unravel the ancient songs of Amami and the Ainu and reconnect with each other. Let's row a squid fishing boat while drifting on the swells."

Amamiaynu is a project that began with the initiative of Ikue Asazaki, a leading figure in Amami folk songs. The members are Ikue Asazaki, a leading figure in Amami Island songs, OKI, an Ainu tonkori player, Rekpo, the leader of the Ainu female vocal group MAREWREW, and Kapiw & Apappo, a sister unit that sings Upopo, a folk song from the Ainu Kotan at Lake Akan.

In 2019, the album "Amamiaynu" was released on CD and digitally, generating widespread buzz. In October of the same year, she appeared at Peter Brakan's "Peter Brakan's LIVE MAGIC! 2019," and in January of the following year, she held her first hall concert at Densho Hall in Shibuya. In November 2021, a documentary about Amamiaynu was broadcast on NHK ETV, expanding her horizons.

This first vinyl release includes a different version of "Miturasanmae kamuy samada" (SIDE B-3). A live concert to celebrate the release of the record will also be held at Marunouchi COTTON CLUB on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the same day as the release date.

[Amamiaynu]

●Ikue Asazaki Born in 1935 on Kakeroma Island, Amami, she is a singer of Amami Shimauta, a tradition passed down since ancient times. From a young age, she honed her natural talent and was hailed as a prodigy singer in her teens. She has continued to promote Amami Shimauta on numerous major stages, including overseas performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, Los Angeles, and Cuba, as well as 10 consecutive years at the National Theater. She currently sings "Ahagari," the theme song for the long-running NHK BS Premium program "Shin Nihon Fudoki." While preserving the traditions underlying Amami Shimauta, she continues to expand its possibilities through collaborations with other fields, such as piano and various folk music, deepening the world of Amami Shimauta. Her soul-stirring voice and profound sound have touched many people across generations and races. www.asazakiikue.com

OKI Asankara (Asahikawa) is a musician, producer, and player of the traditional Karafuto Ainu stringed instrument, the Tonkori. He is of Ainu descent and has also worked with Umeko Ando and MAREWREW. Since 2005, he has toured Asia, America, Europe, and other parts of the world with his own band, the OKI DUB AINU BAND, and has performed at numerous festivals both in Japan and overseas, including WOMAD, the world's largest world music festival. His diverse activities include releasing an album in collaboration with a Canadian Indigenous dancer, a shadow puppet artist, and Okinawan folk singer Misako Oshiro. www.tonkori.com

●Rekpo (Rekpo) Originally from Asahikawa, she is the leader of MAREWREW, a female vocal group that is actively working on the theme of reviving and passing on the traditional Ainu song "Upopo." Recently, she has also been active as Oki & Rekpo.

Kapiw & Apappo: A sister unit that sings the Upopo folk song from the Ainu Kotan of Lake Akan. They have been singing songs passed down from their grandmother and local Akan since childhood, and they also use traditional instruments such as the mukkuri and tonkori to convey the charm of Ainu songs.

Tracklist

■Track list:
Side A

1. Ikyabiki no yaysama

2. Ito

3. Kyuramun rimse

4. Chijurihama no kamome / The seagulls of Chijurihama

Side B
1. Eumi rimse

2. Makya makya upopo

3. Miturasanmae kamuy samada / Miturasanmae Kamuy samada

4. Sengromui menoko / Sengromui menoko

Listen here

Product information

[LP]
Product code: TBV-0027
Released by Chikar Studio / Tuff Beats

Release date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023