Sven Kacirek - Songs From Okinawa (2015)

On his new album SONGS FROM OKINAWA Sven Kacirek searches for traces of a unique, traditional music of the famous Pacific islands south of Japan. He has recorded various musicians, amateurs as well as local celebrities and subsequently added his trademark instruments marimba, xylophone and piano. The result is an incomparable album of timeless beauty and elegance.

The South Japanese archipelago of Okinawa has seen quite a turbulent past, especially the conflicts between Japan and America, as outlined in the liner notes by Mina Mermoud. The complex history has resulted in an exceptionally rich music tradition through the centuries. With the influence of American culture during the US army occupation of the islands, the Okinawan started mixing traditional songs with Western music styles. In Japan Okinawan music is now considered as a genre of its own. "I'm fascinated by the sublime simplicity and precision of Okinawan Music, from the orchestration to the phrasing of the singing voice", says Sven Kacirek. He leaves many of the vocal and instrument recordings untouched, adds a marimba or his percussions here and there, without playing himself to the foreground.