［Description］

Folk songs are the soul music of the Japanese archipelago. Here lie the songs of Japan, living in the present. (Writer/ Hajime Oishi)

The first full album, SHIGERI BUSHI encapsulates the achievements of Kizumori, a folk singer and taiko performer in the present,
Produced by Takuzo Aoyagi (Little Creatures) and featuring a wide range of collaborations including Haruomi Hosono, as well as performances in dozens of countries, Kizumori breathes a delicate and modern spirit into folk songs from all over Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

Moreover, alongside newly written songs such as the title track "SHIGERI BUSHI" by Haruomi Hosono (music) and Takuzo Aoyagi (lyrics), and "Juunichi no Mura" by Hoko Oshima, a singer from Ishigaki Island, the album also includes selected covers like the legendary HIS unit's (Kiyoshiro Imawano, Haruomi Hosono, Fuyumi Sakamoto) hit "Shiawase Happy" and Aoyagi's solo piece "Tsuki no Niji."

The recording features a diverse range of guests such as Takuzo Aoyagi, Haruomi Hosono, Hoko Oshima, Katsuaki Sawada, Yukito Shinra, Sunday, and Wataru Iga, crossing genres. The mastering was handled by Makoto Kubota.
Recorded in a studio in Okinawa's Koza, Kizumori's singing, accompanied by the tropical air, exudes a charm that transcends the framework of folk songs. Standing proudly alongside folk music from England, America, Africa, and Central and South America, here lies Japan's new folk music that should be celebrated.
(Text by Hajime Oishi)