This is the second product following “Sings in the Village Forest” released in 2020.
Most of the Japanese folk songs have been generated and inherited by nameless ordinary people, so called “Jōmin”. Jōmin were people who worked and lived in village forest, by the sea and rivers, and overcame the hard daily labor by singing.
This time, we have collected songs related to the sea. In order to find out the environment in which they were sung, what the bodies and voices of Jōmin are, and what kind of emotions the songs bring to us today, we decided to return the songs to their home sea.

Location : Iwai coast, Nishigasaki in Minami-Bousou (Chiba prefecture)

1, DAWN

<Amiuchi-Bayashi>]
sung by Bikindaaz
It was sung when twisting the core rope of a set net used for tuna and yellowtail fishing. In order to make a long and sturdy rope, it is essential to have concentration, moderate strength, and above all, to keep everyone's breath together, so by singing in this way, the rhythm of the work was adjusted.
The song is in the form of Call-and-Response, but the tunes of the response are very improvised, and harmony occurred accidentally.


2, SEASIDE JOBS

<Shiogae-Bushi>
sung by Mahya
Shiogae is the work of re-pumping the seawater in the barrels in order to keep the fishing baits fresh for bonito fishing.
This song is sung to cheer up the work and awaken drowsiness. It seems that the women who work at the beach also imitated this song. The 3rd verse is written by Mahaya herself.

<Ama-Uta>
sung by Sachiyo
The origin of this song is the same system as "Shongae-bushi", which is a celebrating song of the sea called "Yoiyana".
It is said that the Ama(female divers) sang this song when they finished fishing, set fire on the beach, and warmed their cold bodies.
Although this song was originally sung at a celebration, later it may have been sung to encourage workers on the sea.

<Iwanoritori-Uta>
sung by Bikkindaaz
It was sung when gathering seaweed that had adhered to rocks on the rough coast. The Ito coast(Shizuoka pref.) is thriving with the fishery of such seaweeds and shellfish.
The lyrics are composed in the Jinku style (having 7-7-7-5 syllables), and the Bikkindaaz also tried to make the 3rd and 4th lyrics following the former Jōmin.


3, DUSK ON THE BEACH

<Karasuhama Aiya>
sung by Mahya
It was sung at a banquet table mainly in the port town. In Kyushu, the birthplace of "Haiya-bushi", musical instruments and dances are accompanied lively, but "Karasuhama Aiya" from Soma(east coast of Fukushima) is played at a relaxed tempo and evokes some melancholy feelings. In this northern sound, the way of drinking alcohol seems to be different from that of the west.

<Saitara-Bushi ~ Kesenzaka>
sung by Taku
Kesen is a place name on the Sanriku coast, and is the area near the prefectural border between Iwate and Miyagi. It is based on the "Zenifuki-Uta" that was sung at the Zeniza (a coin foundry) in the Edo period, and it has come to be sung as a celebration song. The dashing and dynamic tune is also diverted to various work songs. One of those songs is "Saitara-bushi", which is a representative sea folk song of the Tohoku region.

<Ondo no Funauta>
sung by Sachiyo
The straits of Otodo(Hiroshima pref.) is known as a place opened by Taira no Kiyomori later 12 century.
It is said that the fishermen who come and go in this fast-flowing and steep straits sang when they headed for fishing.
They sing emotionally with expectations for fishing, anxiety about the difficult way, and various thoughts on the ripples.


4, PRAYER TO THE SEA

<Shishi no Nakiuta>
sung by Taku
It is a song that has been handed down in Shishi-cho on the west coast of Hirado Island(Nagasaki Pref.), and it is said that the song was named "Crying Song" because it stretched out a passage of lyrics and sang sadly. It may be the reason for "crying" that there are many poems that sing the encounter and farewell between local maiden and fishermen who visit this island during the fishing season.

<Saitarou of Kesen>
sung by Taku
An original work in which the lyrics currently sung as "Saitara-bushi" are sung to the "Kesenzaka’s" melody, which is the prototype of the tune. Folk songs are originally a recurring transition, then this is an attempt for a throwback, and will be a prayer to the sea in Tohoku.

<Kujirauta ~Iwai-Medeta>
sung by Bikkindaaz
Whaling, which was a major industry in the Hizen Hirado Domain (Nagasaki Prefecture), was a life-threatening task, so they prayed to God for a good catch and personal safety with lively drums, songs and dances.This song was also diverted to a wedding song.
The lyrics of the famous "Wakamatsu-sama with a great celebration" include lyrics peculiar to whale fishing, like “Sebi”(alias name of whale).