Owara

Owara

On 10, September, a charity concert for Japan earthquake was held in Joyo-city, Kyoto.  It mainly was a concert of Western music--piano, voice, lute, and viola da gamba—because the hostess of this concert is a piano teacher.

She had planned this concert only after three days of the quake.

She was a MC of this concert, and the final pianist.

It was such a wonderful occasion because most of all the performers were from the same school, the same age.  Two of them are my closest friends.

I played kokyu and danced ‘Owara.’

Owara is one of the most famous bon dances, in Niigata Pref.  Every year, tens of thousands of people go to see this bon dance in Yatsuo, Niigata.  Too many people rush to see small groups of dancers and musicians.  It is said that it’s not comfortable to see this festival because the roads are too narrow and too many audience.

Owara is famous for using kokyu as a part of this music.

Kokyu is famous because of this festival, Kaze no Bon.

Therefore, I heard that I was awaited by those who were great fan of Owara and who actually went to Yatsuo to see the festival.

I first played owara in kokyu, and next, played Amazing Grace in kokyu.

I could felt the audience prayed for the victims while I was playing Amazing Grace.

I asked Master Kiba to let me use his recorded live music of Owara for my dance.

I love this music he arranged and played kokyu, with other instruments like biwa, shamisen, cello, and shakuhachi.

http://yuzuruha.net/special.html

You are able to listen to this music: 風の夢～越中おわら幻想～