Music played with the fingers!? This is Okinawan summer’s “traditional performance art”

Music played with the fingers!? This is Okinawan summer’s “traditional performance art”

“Yubibue Okoku Okinawa (Okinawa, Land of Finger-Whistling)” members finger-whistling on July 10 at the JICA Okinawa International Center in Maeda, Urasoe


July 16, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
Hiroki Ohashi

Okinawa’s finger-whistling music can be heard cheering on the teams at high school baseball games and at Eisa performances. On July 7, Finger-Whistling Day, a “Summer Vacation Finger-Whistling Concert 2019” was held at the JICA Okinawa International Center in Urasoe, Okinawa.

The performers played ten songs, including “Shimanchu nu Takara” and “Eikan wa Kimi ni Kagayaku,” using only their fingers.

The dining hall, filled with interns from various countries and other customers, echoed with the uniquely Okinawan sound of finger-whistling music.

Finger-Whistling Day was designated in 2006.

July 10 was chosen as the date because finger-whistling is performed using all ten fingers bent in the shape of the number 7, and because it is often played at summer events like high school baseball games and Eisa performances.

Members of the finger-whistling-lovers group “Yubibue Okoku Okinawa (Okinawa, Land of Finger-Whistling)” gave the performance.

The group was formed in 2005, and has worked for the last 14 years to convey the charm of finger-whistling music.

A male company worker, age 38, from Naha who attended the performance said, “I can’t even make a sound when I try to finger-whistle. The high rising tone sounds fun, and I was surprised that they could use the sound to make such great music.”

“I want people to enjoy Okinawa’s culture and the rich expressiveness of finger-whistling. I want people to pass the hot summer in good spirits by listening to finger-whistling,” said Yubibue Okoku Okinawa’s “king,” Joji Kakinohana.

Yubibue Okoku Okinawa will perform a charity concert called “15th Fun World of Finger-Whistling” at 3 p.m. on July 21.

The concert will be held to support areas stricken by the natural disasters that have been occurring throughout Japan recently, and profits as well as donations collected at the venue will be sent to victims of the disasters.

The location will be the Tedako Small Hall in Urasoe. Tickets purchased in advance and on the day of the concert are all 999 yen.

For more information, contact Kakinohana at 090-9783-9066.

(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)

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