Japanese Folk Minyo wins over Dhaka audience

Taking Japanese folk music or Min’yo at face value, one will notice the dissimilarities between the genre and its Bangla counterpart. The predominant style of rendering Bangla folk songs is free spirited, where as Min’yo vocalists switch between full-throated and restrained (often nasal). Bengali folk singers are accompanied by dhol, sarinda, banshi, mandira and ektara whereas a Min’yo troupe includes shamisen (three-stringed musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi), tsugaru-jamisen (a large shamisen with thicker strings; the plectrum is proportionately small), shakuhachi (an end-blown flute made of bamboo) and uta-bayashi (drums).

But when a visiting Japanese troupe — of six folk musicians — performed Min’yo songs at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on December 9, the similarities between Japanese and Bangladeshi folk music became apparent and the audience lapped it up. In association with Japan Foundation, the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organised the event.

Apparently, there are 58,000 Japanese folk songs — an oral heritage. Many Min’yo songs are connected to work or specific trades and were originally sung as a form of recreation during breaks. Think, bhatiyali or bhawaiyya.

Some Min’yo celebrate and delineate the four Japanese seasons, while others are performed on special occasions. Not that far off from our folk numbers.

The lovely crooners Tanaka Shoko and Nakamura Hitomi won the audience over with their broken Bangla but it was the music that brought the house down.

A winter song, aptly the first rendition, set the mood. The first session featured songs of seasons: serene, snowy winter, vivacious spring with its sakura (cherry blossom), festive summer and the sky illuminated with fireworks, and fall, when nature displays a dramatic change of colours.

The latter half featured a fishermen’s song, a farmer’s song, a lullaby and a parting song.

The audience wanted more and the artistes didn’t disappoint. Yoneya Satoshi on shakuhachi, Sawada Katsuharu on tsugaru-jamisen, Fujimoto Atsuhide on shamisen and Nishida Miwa on uta-bayashi joined artistes of Shilpakala Academy and played Bangladeshi tunes.

A friendly rivalry between the deshi banshi and the Japanese shakuhachi drew many from their seats; audience swaying and dancing, without being rowdy, is always a good thing. The only unfortunate incident was an obtuse photographer getting up on the stage; he was immediately removed.

The Japanese troupe will be performing next in Malaysia. The performers, however, hoped that the enthusiasm and appreciation demonstrated by the Bangladeshi audience would remain unmatched.

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