The Yoshida Brothers – III (Domo Records, 2006)
The Yoshida Brothers are back with an album where they keep pushing the limits of the venerable Tsugaru-shamisen. On their third album, virtuoso musicians Ryoichiro and Kenichi Yoshida play a number of rockin’ pieces rooted in Japanese folklore, as well as deeply melancholic compositions, which are also rooted in Japanese music.
The Yoshida Brothers go beyond Japan. There is a visit to the lands of South America on “Passion,” where they add tango elements, including bandoneon.
On several compositions, The Yoshida Brothers show their rapid fire expertise, playing fast paced shamisen duos. But there are also quieter moments. My favorite of these is the delightful “Fuyu No Sakura,” which shows the beauty of contemporary Japanese music, combining evocative shamisen with distant taiko drums and shakuhachi flute.
But there is more. On an instrumental piece titled “Morricone” The Yoshida Brothers show their admiration for the famous Italian composer’s movie scores.
Buy III.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.