When I was a university student, I once traveled to Okinawa alone. I stayed on a small island called Kohama Island for about two weeks. There was a big resort hotel on the island, but there was no way a young guy traveling alone was going to stay there, so I stayed at a small inn. When I finished eating dinner on the first night, the young owner of the inn asked smilingly, “Can you stay a little longer? I had no plan, so I was sitting there with doing nothing, then one after another, old men and women with “sanshin” in their right hands and “awamori” in their left gathered around. They started drinking and singing which could end at any time. Perhaps because of awamori that I was not familiar, or perhaps because of the music, I was taken somewhere completely out of this world. The next day, I asked myself with hangover head, “Was it a dream, reality, or illusion? Every night since the second day without fail, I was taken somewhere out of this world. It was truly a shocking experience. Music was embedded in the life in its entirety. I used to consider myself a pretty maniacal music lover, but no, I’m sorry, this is the real No music, no life.
In my song that I am going to introduce last, there is a line that says, ” There were people in drunk with three strings guitars they sang and danced”. The lyrics were born from this experience. It’s been almost 30 years now, but this night is the original scene of my music creating. The kind of music that integrated with life and spills out of it. I always want to write music like that.
Today, I would like to start with a song that I vaguely remember that people used to play on this “night out of this world”.

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Speaking of rock and rollers who were fascinated by Okinawan music, Ry Cooder is one of them. He joined Shokichi Kina & Champloose’s “BLOOD LINE” and played wonderful slide guitar on “Hana”. There are many versions of “Hana”, but I like this version best, with Tomoko Kina singing and Ry playing the slide guitar.

Speaking of being fascinated by Okinawan music, I can’t forget to mention Haruomi Hosono. This album, “Taian Yoko,” which he stirred up(chanpurued) New Orleans and Okinawa, is a masterpiece. Perhaps because of the similar rhythm, it’s a great combination.

Now, from Okinawa to New Orleans! Please enjoy the original “Gumbo” as well.

At last here is my song. The lyrics are little bit mystically unclear, but I would like to give it a stamp of approval and say, “Very well done! I hope you enjoy the lyrics as well. I rhymed nice!

Waiting for the sunrise
Lyrics: KANEKO Chalin

The road by the sea, no gas in tank
To the sound of wave we went down
There was nothing but sands
Far away ship lights were swaying in my hands

Smaller fire and few more beer
I can feel you near
There is nothing but love
One by one stars are fading above

We are waiting for the sun rise
We are hearing the breath of sky
We are feeling the heat from far away
We are here and we are there
We are past and we are future
Everything is linked to forever

The road with no sign, no gas in tank
To the sound of songs we went down
There were people in drunk
With three strings guitars they sang and danced

I am awake, snoring from everywhere
from your eyes little tears
There is nothing but love
One by one stars are fading above

We are waiting for the sun rise
We are hearing the breath of sky
We are feeling the heat from far away
We are here and we are there
We are past and we are future
Everything is linked to forever