Odashima-style Three-stringed Shamisen is based in Akita and gives performances at concerts or various events primarily on TV, including regular accompaniment at Kubota Minyo Okuni Meguri for the last 39 years since it first stepped on stage. In the past, it has performed overseas concerts, in addition to expanding its activities throughout the world and in Japan, including a performance in front of the world leaders at the Toyako G8 Summit. In addition, it has won a multitude of first prizes at the Japan nationwide contest for Tsugaru Shamisen.
It is said that the birthplace of the stringed instrument itself is the Middle
East. It then came to China via India and gradually changed its structure, with
the "Three-stringed Instrument" eventually being formed in southern China. The
"Three-stringed Instrument" that came to Okinawa is Sanshin. The Sanshin came to
the main island and became the unique Japanese Shamisen in the mid-Edo Period.
Thereafter, the various Shamisen were developed by blending with the indigenous
performing arts of many places around Japan, eventually becoming the Tsugaru
Shamisen in the Tsugaru region in the northernmost region of Japan.
The original musical piece for the Tsugaru Shamisen was that for the Shamisen
used by "Goze," a "blind female performer" in the Niigata region. In addition,
Tsugaru folk songs developed in a unique blend with the folk songs brought from
the areas along the Sea of Japan by Kitamae-bune (a new type of cargo ship at
that time that came to handle most of the cargo traffic along Japan's coasts).
The Shamisen was despised for a long time in Tsugaru Region as a strolling
performance by blind male performers called "Bosama." But it is said that a
"Bosama" called "Nitabo," who was born in the Kanagi area in Gosyogawara,
founded the original form of Tsugaru Shamisen by incorporating an innovative
playing style into the Shamisen music that used to be a low-key strolling
performance.
Chuzao ("middle-size-neck" Shamisen) or Hosozao ("thinnest-neck" Shamisen)
was used for Shamisen, but Futozao ("broad-neck" Shamisen) and a smaller
plectrum for shredding were used for Tsugaru Shamisen. This was the original
form of today's "Tsugaru Shamisen."
The musical pieces have also changed to advanced, complex and up-tempo numbers,
partially using a percussive playing techniques called "Tataki (tapotement)."
Syoryu (Rising Dragon):
Original ensemble based on Tsugaru Jyongara-bushi. This was arranged with an image of the vigor of dragons climbing into the sky.
Tsugaru Yosare-bushi:
One of the five most famous Tsugaru folk songs.
Tsugaru Jyongara-bushi:
The most famous musical piece for Tsugaru Shamisen. This has been developed as a solo performance for Shamisen while the players tried to bring out and emphasize the prelude part of the song. It is performed without preparation and arranged freely by each player, other than the rules of basic rhythm and musical scale.
Hanafubuki (Shower of Blossoms):
An original ensemble based on Tsugaru Jyongara-bushi. It won first prize four years in a row at the nationwide contest for Tsugaru Shamisen.