［Description］

Pardon Kimura's masterpiece finally arrived in 2013!
This album captures the pride of the "Yaeyama people," who have overcome “Tsunami”, oppression, and hardships through song and dance, now those being immortalized in sound. It includes iconic tracks such as "Kanashiku te Yarikirenai" and "Hoshikage no Waltz."
Produced by Makoto Kubota.

"Yuuyake Gakudan", "Sandy & Sunsuits", and other pioneers of Japanese rock, as well as close ties with foreign musicians like Ry Cooder, have showcased Makoto Kubota's talents as an artist and producer. 

Last year, the documentary film Sketch of Myaku, themed around the sacred songs of Miyako Island, became a topic of discussion worldwide, solidifying Kubota's role as a prominent figure in modern Japanese music. Now, he takes on the task of producing the work of Tetsuhiro Daiku, the foremost figure in the folk songs of Yaeyama Island, who celebrated his 45th anniversary last year.
From the gentle and blue folk songs of Yaeyama which were sung for hundreds of years to iconic Japanese songs like "Seikatsu no Gara" and "Maguro ni Iwashi," and even Chisato Moritaka's "Hoshikage no Waltz," this album is a culmination of songs and sounds that resonate with the hearts of modern Japanese people. It stands as one of the most important albums in the history of Okinawan music.

The participating musicians include Naeko Daiku, Makoto Kubota, SAKEROCK, and the young drummer Daichi Ito, as well as the maestros Rocket Matsui of Pascals.

【Liner Notes】

It seems we Japanese have unwittingly entered a time of trials that we cannot simply pull out of. I won't speak of the reasons or the catalysts. The more we dig, the more we uncover the aspects of ourselves that were slack.

This album, BLUE YAIMA("BLUE" represents both the blues and the "blue" of the sea, while "YAIMA" is the local pronunciation of "Yaeyama"), aims to receive all things from the southern islands with a soft sense. Therefore, "Miyako" becomes "MYAHK" and "Yaeyama" becomes "YAIMA." Whether it's a honeymoon or a struggle, after an intense five years with Miyako, we now welcome the magnificent singer and representative of modern Japan, the maestro Tetsuhiro Daiku of Okinawa.

As I mentioned earlier, today we are struck by unprecedented disasters. However, the Yaeyama Islands, especially Yaeyama, experienced a devastating tsunami in 1771, reducing the population of 30,000 to about half. To fill the void, immigrants likely came from other islands in the Southwest, such as Okinawa and Amami. Even on the small Hateruma Island, in addition to the original inhabitants, some people migrated from Kudaka Island and even as far as Tokunoshima. I've heard that the Kui Cha (similar to Okinawa's Kachashi dance) from Miyako Island is still preserved on Taketomi Island, brought by those who migrated from Miyako. Such short-term, multi-faceted migrations may have influenced the modest and reserved character formation of the people of Yaeyama after the tsunami. Moreover, from the perspective of the Miyako people, the Yaeyama people seem to have a cool impression. This might be related to the fact that many immigrants came due to the tsunami and the complex mountainous terrain, leading to a tenuous relationship between communities. Miyako, with its flat terrain lacking mountains and valleys, had no choice but to cooperate and coexist despite friction. Originally, Miyako and Yaeyama had distinct dialects that were incomprehensible when moving between villages. To communicate with immigrants who had distant roots, songs, and dances must have been particularly important. The island of songs and dances, Yaeyama, has thus overcome tremendous disasters, enormous losses, and the harsh burden of unreasonable head taxes through joint efforts. Over 100 years after the Great Tsunami of Meiwa, they managed to regain their original population.

We want to listen carefully to the resilient and powerful songs of Tetsuhiro Daiku and Naeko Daiku, which symbolize the strength and perseverance of the Yaeyama people. And now, to heal the pain and sorrow of the devastated Yamatonchu, I requested songs of parting and sadness. "Oyado no Tame ni" is a traditional song from the Ogasawara Islands that I discovered in the "Ogasawara Folk Song Collection" by Ring Links. The Ogasawara Islands have wonderful songs that combine sorrow and tenderness, so I thought they would resonate well with Daiku's voice. Also, I've always loved Chisato Moritaka's "Hoshikage no Waltz", and as I listened to Daiku's singing, I thought, "This person must like Chisato Moritaka?" When I asked him directly, it was a perfect match. Although there seemed to be some resistance to singing a parting song like "Hoshikage no Waltz" as a Yaeyama person, it turned out to be a splendid rendition that no one else but Daiku could perform. Furthermore, by having such a wonderful vocalist as Daiku sing "Kanashiku te Yarikirenai", I thought perhaps Katsuhiko Kato's song could continue to live on. I sincerely want to express my gratitude to Tetsuhiro Daiku.

(Makoto Kubota)