Japanology Plus

12 Season
325 Episode

Japanology Plus - Season 9 Episode 27 Japanophiles: Colleen Schmuckal


(4 votes, average: 7.80/ 10)

28 minutes 2024 HD

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Hanawa-bayashi is the name both of a parade of floats in Kazuno, Akita Prefecture, and of the traditional music that is performed all night at the festival. These days, the performers include Colleen Schmuckal, a musician, composer and researcher from the USA. She plays the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument that was once a feature of everyday life in Japan. In a Japanophiles interview, Schmuckal tells Peter Barakan about the unique appeal of the shamisen and of Hanawa-bayashi music.

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