[Traditional Performing Arts of Okinawa] A special feature on classic Eisa songs that make you want to dance

Eisa: Wind of Ryukyu

Eisa: Wind of Ryukyu

This work, created so that children can enjoyably experience Eisa—Okinawa’s traditional performing art—is included on the album “2011 Victor Sports Day 4,” released by Victor Entertainment in 2011.

Its appeal lies in dynamic choreography where children dance with paranku hand drums to powerful taiko beats and exciting calls.

As a staple for group performances at school sports days, why not use this song to present an energetic Eisa performance?

Across timeHY

Todaiji Temple Music Stage - Transcending Time - HY - 2010/11/03 - Eisa - World Heritage

This is a song that HY created with heartfelt care, inspired by the lessons on the preciousness of peace passed down from grandparents who experienced war.

By incorporating traditional instruments such as the sanshin and eisa drums, along with English chorus parts, the piece achieves a modern arrangement.

It was included on the album “Whistle,” released in January 2010, and later selected as the theme song for an NHK documentary in August of the same year.

By adopting it as an eisa performance piece, it becomes a work that conveys the importance of peace through traditional performing arts.

It is also ideal for children’s performances at sports days and is used as educational material to share Okinawan culture and prayers for peace.

Thank you / GreetingsIkuma Akira

Gusuy Sabira ~Festival of Life~

This track is striking for its festive sound that brings out the full allure of Okinawa and its powerful lyrics that sing of the preciousness of life and the bonds between people.

Akira Ikuma’s passionate vocals blend beautifully with the traditional rhythms woven by the sanshin and drums, making it the perfect BGM to energize any sports day.

Tied in with Orion Beer’s mid-year gift campaign commercial in 2009, the song was included on the album “Dynamic Ryukyu” and earned high acclaim both within and beyond Okinawa.

Through a collaboration with a local choir, it was elevated into a piece with even greater breadth and richness.

As a staple for Eisa performances, it’s sure to shine at school functions and events.

Mami and Toma styleYaeyama min’yō

“Kohama-bushi / Mami Toma-bushi” by Isamu Asato <Okinawa Izakaya Kodama> (2018)

With the sanshin’s richly expressive melody and graceful rhythms, Yaeyama folk songs soothe the soul.

Woven from the island’s unhurried flow of time, its abundant nature, and the lives of its people, these beautiful melodies evoke a quiet sense of wonder.

Interlacing emotive sounds with dynamic drum rhythms, this piece is sure to add extra brilliance to the children’s Eisa performance at a school sports day.

Through performing Eisa together as one, everyone can truly experience the splendor of Okinawa’s traditional culture.

Hana nu Chura ShimaTokeiji Tsutomu

Yusuke Hontake LIVE in Osaka: Hana nu Chura Shima

A song that warmly celebrates Okinawa’s beautiful nature and culture, resonating with the comforting tones of the sanshin and an upbeat rhythm.

It is a signature work by Tsutomu Tokeshi that superbly fuses traditional Okinawan music with pop, and it is included on the album “Okinawa no Kaze,” released in June 2005.

The track was also chosen as the official campaign song of the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau and has been used in local TV commercials and radio programs, making it highly well-known in Okinawa.

Its gentle mood and powerful beat further illuminate the image of children dancing together in unison.

A place to return toHY

A Place to Return: SHINKA Creative Eisa at Senagajima Umikaji Terrace, 2023-05-05

HY’s song, filled with deep love and warmth for their Okinawan homeland, resonates with the heart.

Featured on the album “GLOCAL,” this track blends references to local landmarks and the sound of traditional Eisa drums, serving as an encouraging anthem for those living away from home.

Its lyrics, which gently speak to the feelings everyone raised in Okinawa has for their “mother island” and the importance of returning there, sink deeply into the listener’s heart.

Used as the finale of a school sports day or as accompaniment for an Eisa performance, this piece will leave a warm afterglow in the hearts of all participants.

ParadiseMiyagi Mamoru

"Paradise" by Mamoru Miyagi with Gen Hirakata & Ryota @ Tameike Usagi-ya

This is a thrilling, up-tempo track that brilliantly fuses traditional Okinawan music with pop.

The sound of the sanshin blends exquisitely with modern arrangements, evoking the refreshing breeze of the tropics.

Featured on the album “Minamikaze” (“Southern Wind”), this song celebrates Okinawa’s beautiful nature and the warmth of its people, and its melody is sure to bring both comfort and energy to listeners.

You can almost see the smiling children at a school sports day, dancing with all their might and beating the drums with powerful rhythms.