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Japan: Ainu Songs

Various Artists
Japan: Ainu Songs The Ainu people, indigenous to the Hokkaido Island of Japan and the Sakhalin and Kuril islands of Russia, presently number in the range of 15,000 to 25,000. Despite geographic proximity to the Japanese and other ethnic groups inhabiting the Russian Far East, the Ainu language and customs are strikingly different from those of their neighbors. Singing is a major feature of Ainu music and part of the daily tribal life, usually presented as either an upopo (sitting song) or rimse (dancing song). Their spirited vocal sounds often imitate animal cries, bird songs, and insect sounds, due to animistic beliefs that elements of nature, plants, and animals are gods. This album illustrates a cross-section of Ainu life, including songs for religious ceremony, working, ritual, and entertainment.

Track Listing

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101
Kiyo Kurokawa, Teru Nishizama
02:08
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102
Kiyo Kurokawa, Teru Nishizama
02:06
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103
Kiyo Kurokawa, Teru Nishizama
02:55
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104
Yoshi Shikato, Akino Fuchise
02:47
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105
Kiyo Kurokawa, Teru Nishizama
02:27
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106
Kiyo Kurokawa, Teru Nishizama
02:23
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107
Yoshi Shikato
03:55
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108
Yoshi Shikato
03:46
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109
Sato Huse
04:45
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110
Sato Huse
13:23
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111
Akino Fuchise
01:28
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112
Kiyo Kurokawa
02:07
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113
Teru Nishizama
02:17
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114
Kiyo Kurokawa
02:12