Bon odori uta
|
These songs accompany the bon odori (see S-26-1-1O) of midsummer. As folk songs, they have never been consciously preserved and thus the very large number of bon odori uta sung today includes many of quite recent origin.Over the centuries, songs have been made up in celebration of local events -a song and dance was created in celebration of Expo '70-and others have been so changed that the original form is lost. Some songs and dances,being famous nationwide, are performed beyond their district of origin;others are more or less confined to a specific region. The lyrics to these songs and the movements of the dances are simple, so that they can be enjoyed by everyone. They relate to the immediate experiences of country people, their surroundings and their life-style. The accompanying instruments are usually confined to samisen, shakuhachi (vertical bamboo flute) and percussion. The vocal part is in a style unique to Japanese folk music, each verse ending in a strange, trailing phrase.
|
|