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- Kokiriko -

こきりこ

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This is a Min'yo piece from the Min'yo school .

History (from Takahashi Yujiro)
This dance son's relatively simple structure aided its selection in 1971 by the Education Ministry as the first piece of Japanese music ever officially taught for performance in Japanese schools. This policy, however, was abandoned a few years later, when it emerged that Japan's school teachers, trained only in Western styles, could not cope with min'yo.
Kokiriko are short lengths of thin bamboo struck together while dancing. The binzasara or sasara is another striking instrument, a string of wooden plaques which produce a pleasant rolling sound.

(chorus:) mado no sansa mo dedereko den, hare no sansa mo dedereko den
The bamboo kokirko are 7.5 sun long. Any longer and they catch in your sleeves.
If you want to dance, dance - leave the crying child with me. The sasara is under the window.
If you try to carry yonder mountain, the rope will break - you can't do it.
The bulbul crying in yonder mountains cries while flying down, and cries while flying up:
it wakes us for morning grass-cutting.

Kokiriko appears on the following albums:

    AlbumShakuhachiKotoShamisen
    Concierto Di Aranjues - Aka Tombo  (Listen) Tajima Tadashi

    Japanese Folk Songs  (Listen)


      A folk song, sung by farmers about 200 years ago. A musical instrument whose shape resembled a farming tool was used for the song, and the name of the tool was Kokiriko.

    Min'yo - Folk Song from Japan - Takahashi Yujiro and friends  (Listen)


      This dance son's relatively simple structure aided its selection in 1971 by the Education Ministry as the first piece of Japanese music ever officially taught for performance in Japanese schools. This policy, however, was abandoned a few years later, when it emerged that Japan's school teachers, trained only in Western styles, could not cope with min'yo.
      Kokiriko are short lengths of thin bamboo struck together while dancing. The binzasara or sasara is another striking instrument, a string of wooden plaques which produce a pleasant rolling sound.

      (chorus:) mado no sansa mo dedereko den, hare no sansa mo dedereko den
      The bamboo kokirko are 7.5 sun long. Any longer and they catch in your sleeves.
      If you want to dance, dance - leave the crying child with me. The sasara is under the window.
      If you try to carry yonder mountain, the rope will break - you can't do it.
      The bulbul crying in yonder mountains cries while flying down, and cries while flying up:
      it wakes us for morning grass-cutting.

      Copyright 1999 - Dr David W. Hughes
      e-mail dh6@soas.ac.uk

    Music from the Earth  (Listen) Hayashi Shinzan



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