The concert scene in Japan tends to slow down a bit in the winter months, so this week I'll present my pick of this year's Japanese releases, and in my next column, releases from around the world.
Japan has many gifted and innovative musicians, mostly operating in nonmainstream subgenres, from age-old traditions to cutting-edge club culture. Finding out about them is the problem, though, with the major record companies tightening their purse strings and concentrating on the mainstream.
Since the demise of the so-called Okinawan music "boom," just about all the majors have dumped their former stalwarts of the genre. Misako Koja had already left Nenes before the other original singers quit. "Ama Kakeru Hashi (Bridges Over Heaven)" (Disc Milk) is Koja's first solo album since leaving Nenes five years ago, but it was worth the wait. In contrast to the usual high, falsetto voice of Okinawan female singers, Koja's has developed a more earthy, bluesy quality.