Voice, Wood, Silk Strings

Voice, Wood, Silk Strings

Nobuko Fukatsu, Biwa & Voice

“It’s fascinating to experience how Nobuko puts together such a powerful performance that integrates the history behind the biwa across people, lands, time and past and current political struggles.” – the audience

Profile

Nobuko Fukatsu is a Biwa player based in Los Angeles. She performs at various cultural gatherings, festivals, educational settings, and also in entertainment media music. Click here to meet Nobuko.

ロサンゼルス在住の琵琶奏者です。プロフィール、活動内容など。

Biwa is a 4 or 5-stringed Japanese lute, brought to Japan via the Silk Road in the 8th century. In its long history, it developed into an accompanying instrument for narrative music. Click here to learn more about the biwa.

シルクロードを経て奈良時代に日本に渡ってきた琵琶。長い歴史の中で、語り物音楽として発展しました。

Biwa in America

Some Japanese immigrants in the early 20th century brought biwas over to the United States with them, and played for their fellow people. Biwa performances were held even in the internment camps during WWII. Click here to read hidden stories.

琵琶が20世紀前半に海を越えてアメリカに渡ったのはご存知でしょうか。日本を懐かしむ人々の心の拠り所として、日系社会で演奏や教授が行われました。第二次世界対戦中の日系人強制収容所でも演奏会が行われた記録が残っています。

Videos

An excerpt from the 13th century epic The Tale of Heike, describing a famous scene where a young archer Nasu-no-Yoichi Munetaka of the Genji faces a challenge posed by the Heike.

平家物語から、屋島の合戦における、弓の名手・那須与一の活躍の場面です。

An excerpt from The Tale of Heike, describing a scene where the Heike burned down temples and the Great Buddha in the old capital Nara.

平家物語から、南都焼き討ちの場面です。平家物語の原文を詞章に、琵琶と語りと歌で表現した創作です。

The Story of the Japanese American experience during WWII, played on the biwa that survived the turmoil.

第二次世界大戦中の日系アメリカ人の物語を、その時代を生きた琵琶で語りました。

A strange adventure experienced by Hoichi, a musically talented blind monk who specialized in telling the Heike story using the biwa. From Lafcadio Hearn’s well-known anthology Kwaidan (1904), reconstructed into a biwa piece, narrated in English.

小泉八雲の『耳なし芳一』を、琵琶とともに英語で語ったものです。

What’s New

Uploaded a video of Kiyohime, an original creative attempt based on the Tale of Anchin & Kiyohime at Dojo-ji Temple, a famous story that has been adopted into various traditional arts such as Noh and Kabuki. | 新しく創作した琵琶曲『清姫』の動画をアップしました。道成寺に伝わる安珍と清姫の物語。抑えたくても抑えられない清姫の激しい心のうちに焦点を当てたいと思い、試みた創作です。ぜひお聴きください。