Roving Ronin Report Presents Japanese Biwa Player

[conncork]

5 star

[KernsTheAntiGoth]

I get chills whenever I listen to this. It's hauntingly beautiful.

[GirlInRedShoes]

Good video, but the description is a bit biased....

Heike clan is the first samurai family who took over nobles' dominance, because their political skill was better than Genji, and was able to get along with nobles. But ironically, as the samurai gaining their power all over in Japan, they started thinking Heike was too close to nobles and disliked them.

That's why Heike was hated by other samurai clans and defeated by Genji. They were a kind of steppingstones in the early samurai history.

[RoninDave]

@GirlInRedShoes one of the Heike remarked that not to be a Heike was not to be a man. It was that arrogance & Kiyomori appointing family members to key positions that led to a growing resentment of the Heike. Their aristocratic trappings was less of an issue. One of their allies a Genji grew to dislike them because a Heike stole his son's horse, named it after the son then beat it to death. The way the Heike behaved was the problem. The more power they got the more despotic they became.

[GirlInRedShoes]

@RoninDave Dave, have you read all of the Tale of Heike? If you had read just a few chapters in the beginning, you couldn't say so....　I know same descriptions as yours can be found easily in kids' story books and pop cultures. But don't mix them with real histories.

The same can be said for "Mimi nashi Hoichi."　He is not a real person.

I am a Japanese and learned the Tale of Heike and the history of samurai in the school. What I wrote is just a common knowledge.

[RoninDave]

@GirlInRedShoes you didn't rebut anything I said and yes I have read the Heike Monogatari - note the incident i mentioned about the horse which belonged to the son of Minamoto no Yorimasa who rose up against the Heike in 1180. The Heike became despotic in their power and even had a secret police - a small army of pages who scoured the capital looking for any signs of dissent. They had almost absolute power to bring charges real or not against people and sieze their property.

[in7erpol]

I've just read the story MIMI-NASHI-HÕÏCHI By Lafcadio Hear It's about that biwa player who lost his ears... i put "biwa" on youtube and this is the first result.... Nice :)

[almishti]

Man, you did a really good job putting this video together, and your timing in filming her while a thunder storm broke out was clearly divinely inspired! Haha. Her performance is excellent. When the thunder starts up her singing and playing are so one with it my eyes start tearing up and a chill goes up my spine! My only criticism: what is her name???

[GsxRaider]

LOL Masamuna Date!

[BWEEBLAST]

the sky turned gray as i watched this video...

[kunshisekijou]

Oh my God. I can't stop listening to this.

It's like a cycle. I would listen to this. Go about my business. Then come back in a couple of days or weeks, and listen to this again when I remember.

Thanks for a wonderful post.

[castanoo90]

48 people doesn't understand what does "culture & tradition " means...

[Sakeroz]

small pick

[VerdantDog]

fucking weeaboos



[DarkValkyrie0512]

Isn't there a lake in Japan called Biwa?

[RoninDave]

@DarkValkyrie0512 yes there is! It's north of Kyoto. One of my favorite castles hikone is there

[DarkValkyrie0512]

@RoninDave That belonged to the Mori Clan, right? The Mori clan that served Oda Nobunaga?

[Villeum]

Whos that person at 3:50?

[shoorideh1]

Cool Video...Thanks for the informations about the song!

[lonedoghowling]

Love it. Didn't try playing along on the recorder. Neighbors happy.

[Superhrnet01]

If there was a 13th century Japnaese equivilant to "rocking out," this performer exemplified it. Awesome.

[agusipalu]

THE WOMAN IS THE BEST

THE RARE GUY IS FREAK...

[tanukisan666]

This piece is a consistent favourite of mine because the singer has the most perfect voice for this style that I've ever heard.....

[zousandazou]

ありがとうございます。すばらしいです。

ちょうど雨が降って雷が鳴ったようですね。劇的な演出効果です。­

[theretardpeep]

What is the name of the picture at 3:52? It's creepy, but It would be an awesome tattoo.

[crystal0spirit]

hi sameri dave

[tekno2600]

Some of those biwa refs have a surprisingly rock & roll sound to them. I wonder about some of the influences this instrument has had on modern music.

[reverendrichard]

i hate how people are talking in the background...

[NCTaikoDrumboy]

The Battle of Dan-no-ura, which took place on April 24, 1185 near what is now Shimonoseki in western Japan, was the largest sea battle fought in Asia to date. It was the final and decisive battle of the Genpei War, the most divisive civil war in Japan's history. In a country whose history is littered with rebellions, uprisings and civil wars, that says something. It also ended the great blood feud between the Taira and Minamoto clans, which had endured for almost two-and-a-half centuries.

[gefiro]

Looks like that's how the guitar came to be...

[Aiglos]

Hoichi the earless can be seen in the movie Kwaidan. It's an older movie of four short stories this being on of them.

[mropaloka]

Nice one Dave San, I enjoyed that, the sudden storm made it even atmospheric, keep up the good work.

[tarou3917]

演奏が好きで何回も見に来てます。すごい鳥肌物だね。このびょー­んって特殊な音は日本琵琶でしかでないこの音が好きだ。♬♩♫♪­☻(●´∀｀●）☺♪♫♩♬ 

[veritasaeternitas]

Great vid! What is the name she uses for performances? I want to check out more of her stuff.

[alincielo]

scary but beautiful!!!!!

[nzigen31]

Simply Beautiful

[RealEros1]

How freaking epic playing that in storm probably summoned up some demons lol

[marioreaper]

bloody fantastic performance !

[drakkonami]

My tears almost joined those of the Heike.

[tanukisan666]

Superb performer,

In violent summer rain,

Her skills will prevail.

[loveandsickness]

I love the Date Masamune armor in the beginning. It's amazing how much sound you can get from only 4 - 5 strings

[DeAnn21]

I'm creating a lesson plan on Medieval Japan with a focus on the performing arts that originated from that period for 7th graders. The piece is amazing as well as entertaining;  Biwa player was superb!

[DarkOnyx98]

wow.. that was awesome. intense playing as well near the end.. you can tell she had some passion there.. Would't be surprised that is what brought the rain.. lol.. so intense her skills brought rain XD.. that was awesome. and since it's a bigger than the shaminsen ((sp??)) you know it had to take more practice as well.. thanks for sharing.

[amydien09]

I got goosebumps watching her performance. That was incredible! And thanks for the info...it was very interesting =)

[MrThedalaillamaknows]

what the reporter didn't realize is that the Heike were total arses, Minamaoto Yoritomo on the other hand, for all his flaws, united Japan and ended the beuarocracy that the Heike created

[RoninDave]

@MrThedalaillamaknows he just created another bureaucracy dominated by the samurai class but I anyway I mentioned that the arrogance of the Heike earned them much animosity so yes I did realize that

[Ghost333999]

@RoninDave

Oh nap. He doesn't have a response for that because he is a bitch.

[Drauph]

Beautiful and bonechilling, just how I like it, thank you for this great vid!

[666maricarmen]

What´s the name of the artist?

[quantumdelta123]

I want to be entertained by a Geisha playing a Biwa during thunderstorm while drinking sake.

[tanukisan666]

PLEASE tell me this performer has a CD available....

[telperionflower]

WOW, I'm amazed at how well the performance and the intro go along. It's like.... throwing pearls before swine.

[nekodansyaku55]

素晴らしい！琵琶は中東発祥と聞いていますが、中国から伝わり極­東の日本で完成した楽器でありましょう。えこ贔屓ではなく、客観­的にその楽器としての完成度が証明していると思います。

[NCOProductions]

this is badass

[hifumiyoimunayakoto]

良いものを見せて頂きました。

ありがとうございます。

[SickTwistedQueen]

This instrument is so beautiful!

I'm OBSESSED with the Japanese culture, so this was my little bit of entertainment for the day. :)

[audibleobsession]

fantastic. i find great musical inspiration from this.

[nhprman]

EPIC. Absolutely epic.

[udon890]

Dave did a good job in providing information about what is the song is about. We know a bit Japanese history now. What was the year of the war? You have done a GREAT job for people who does not know Japanese history. Thanks.

[RoninDave]

The Gempei War was from 1180-1185

[TelevisionPotato]

I really want a Biwa! I've been looking everywhere for one but I can't seem to find one.

[oldsmanguy]

@TelevisionPotato i want one too any luck yet?

[oldsmanguy]

damn good showing

[SonSter89]

English subs?

[july071992]

interesting bit of history here.....Minamoto clan vs Taira clan....the offshoots of the dominant Yamato clan.....

[pineapplehairdo]

This incomparable performance is a breathtaking example of how they used to keep documentation of prominent moments in ancient times... I sometimes feel that technology is the main reason for mankind's cultural decay... but then I wouldn't have my laptop.... it's sad is what it is...

[SemimaruSakagami]

Thanks for this vid, and earless Houichi is one of my favorite.

[yurasleepless]

hey dave

how abou uplaoding the whole performce

without out any comments and intros

uncut

if u have it

cu zthis is a really awsome moment you caught

greets youra

[GotBomb]

Obviously a robot

[AmericanKosuPureSama]

INTERESTING. This is TRULY HISTORY PRESERVED FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS. BEAUTIFUL

[tanukisan666]

When performers like this pass from the scene, history truly suffers.

This performer should be a National Treasure and her performances preserved for all to see.

[1darkonyx1]

I really like it, or love it to be honest <3

[PUNKONWAVE]

素晴らしいですね！感動しました！！

[kikuchiyoh]

Its a shame that there are so few biwa players out there nowadays, since a lot of the Chinese/Japanese traditional songs they were created to play have been lost to history

[Magnenntae]

I would play it, but it's just so hard to find...And expensive.

[vaidotas86]

thats brutal man

[TrentReznorLover]

wow, this is some dark and beautiful music...

[elleohelle100]

she reminds me of the band omnyouza :oo

[deadredeyes]

It's a shame that so many people are talking during her performance.

[zzerovisibility]

look at that guitar pick! Could Paul Gilbert use that?

[GiRlover89]

don't bash me but this music reminds me of a game called Tenchu Z. I love this kind of music :)

[amenatsuhasujinseii]

its kinda like a mix between a sitar and a shamisen, it has amuch deeper and twangier sound then a shamisen

[tarou3917]

考えてみたら1200年前の歌がよく今まで伝わりましたね。It is the one that the song 1200 years ago often remained.

[snowchild99]

いや歌自体は、源平の壇ノ浦の合戦は1185年頃なんで、少なく­ともそれ以降かと・・・。

いや、しかしすごいですね。琵琶がこんな迫力あるものだとは知り­ませんでした。

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

'Kwaidan' or 'Kaidan' is one of the greatest films ever made and Kobayashi is in my mind Japan's greatest director.

The film is based on Koizumi Yakumo or (as he is mostly known in the west) Lafcadio Hearn's collections of Japanese folklore (he also collected some Chinese ones as well incidentally) . Has anyone read any of his collections?

[ravingmoderatedotcom]

This rocks. Reminds me (seriously) of early Black Sabbath. I saw a pipa player once who made me feel like I was hearing an arrangement of Yes.

[fgah]

Biwa and Pipa in Chinese term are actually not indigenous product of both country. Both of them are actually derived from Persian barbat.First, appeared in ancient China during Qin Dynasty,221-206 BC then reached Japan during Nara Period(710-759 AD).

[HijioriDollKokeshi]

No the Biwa is pure Japanese I heard of no such things!!

[fgah]

@HijioriDollKokeshi \

Go to library first.

[bushin64]

Wow!

[ontaru]

....this sends shivers down my spine... awesome performance!

[tanukisan666]

I just saw/heard this performance again and still I am blown away by it. This performer has the most perfect voice for this style I've ever heard. Her talent is extraordinary.

[MyoushinRyuNinjutsu]

lol I want that voice. Another female singer that has that voice is Tomoca Nagasu from Rin'

[2channelgeek]

Please calm down, RoninDave. anyway, we Japaneses are not offended by your Masamune Date look at all. You are not

ridiculing the samurai at all. if anything, we really appreciate you making this excellent vid. we know you are really up on Japanese things.

[RoninDave]

No worries! I love nutters and haters and this guy is both. The anti-american cracks are a scream! Quality nutter stuff! The best one is the guy I so pissed off that he is still taking petty potshots at me one year later - he's practically my masterpiece!

[vinniram]

Rainie Yang is hot :)

[vinniram]

without the commentator ridiculing the samurai, and with just the beautiful performance, this would have been a good video.

[RoninDave]

eh? ridiculing the samurai? What are you on about you pretentious little prat?

[vinniram]

if you think you're "cool" dressing up in some ridiculous fake samurai suit, you're VERY wrong. you're just ridiculing the culture and "tackifying" it, as americans do best. and, like americans do, you automatically move to name calling i.e. "pretentious little prat" - last time I checked, it was pretentious little prats who can't take even a single scrap of criticism without getting offended :P

[RoninDave]

oh, shut it, you little wanker! You are a pretentious prat with that pretentious comment that you think resembles criticism. You sound like snooty full of it jackass who thinks they are some kind of highbrow art critic.

Make your own damn vids, pokemon punk

[vinniram]

haha "art critic"? you only find those pieces of shit where you come, yankee. ah yes I made u waste time and visit my user page :P thanks for your patronage, dipshit :)

[RoninDave]

what's with the anti-american crap, pokemon punk? It just shows you're insecure. But you're right, looking at your channel was a waste of time. You're just another do nothing lurker. Piss off!

[vinniram]

ha yes scored again :)

[RoninDave]

scored what? All you did was add more comments to my vid which in turns bumps it up in the discussion lists enabling it to get more views. Thanks for playing, tool!

[TeppeiDog1]

lol! egging on flamers is a creative way to up your comments! normally this kind of arguing is pointless, but you've found a way. i love the video, by the way. it's beautiful!

[RoninDave]

even negativity can be used to positive purposes - if more comments can get this video viewed and more importantly get people to hear her incredible voice then it's worth it.

I just saw her again this past weekend. I plan to put up some more of her singing in the near future!

[TeppeiDog1]

yes, you may be stirring up more negative energy, but her voice just may be enough to counteract it! hopefully.

please do! i would like to hear more of her.

[KunoichiBlackRose]

Who is the musician in this clip? I'm interested in finding more of her excellent work.

[2channelgeek]

I m not so sure, but MAYBE She is Akiko Sakurai 桜井亜木子(stage name: 平桜子 Sakurako Taira).

She is a biwa player. She is playing especially the Tale of Heike in Yunishikawa so often, the place where RoninDave, I think, went.

sorry, my bad English. hope you can get what i want say.

[RoninDave]

that's correct! I was just there today and met her again. She actually helped me the last two times I was there find a place to stay out in Yunishigawa

[RoninDave]

well good for the pipa but this is about the biwa

[Xubxero]

Amazing!

Scary stuff too!

[athiria]

This i truly amazing.

[echobunny]

Drastically fantastic. That woman can wail!

[ramzahnY]

Awe inspiring singing.

[MissLittleLady1993]

wow... that was amazing!

[RoninDave]

good catch! All of it could be chalked down to coincidence but it's pretty damn good considering this area was founded by Heike refugees and it was sunny up to the performance and it stopped 15 mins after her performance.

[skytigress]

Wow! At first I thought the people were never going to shut up when she started but I bet at the end some people were nervous. Amazing voice and skill that lady has!

[RoninDave]

believe me I was silently cursing them but most of them were japanese pensioners so I couldn't exactly start throwing down on them

[waitan117]

she is the story teller!

[Jaiqiao27]

The guy in the very beginning looks like Masamune Date

[tanukisan666]

That is an absolutely outstanding biwa performance.

[KaizerDraco]

yes,

her voice is very sexy

[gluvuv]

The original pipa is capable of complex pieces. See here:

watch?v=ZJ_8FcpAZWk&feature=ch­annel_page

[Napris]

That's cool ... man I love all this Japanese music. I wish I knew how to play an instrument of the far east, like an ehru or something.

[buyogirl]

This is amazing - love it!

[paedrough]

this song even includes the dates of the battle!... i think.

[GaurdDuck]

Creeepy...

[acerb45666555]

sweeet!!!5*****

[sukoutoshindo]

So very, very powerful, but majestic. I had shivers go up and down my back countless times.

[Kuku1123]

4:52 its sounds like a guitar XD so friggin cool

[LadyAbhorsen]

This is absolutely amazing. The very essance of the song is haunting and powerful. Absolutly beautiful.

I like your Masamune Date outfit by the way. ^^

[momopeanuts]

"Haunting" is the best way to discribe this music. Have you heard of a ghost story "Miminashi Houichi - Earless Houichi"?

It is a tale of a blind monk who was possessed by Heike's dead samurais.

He was lead by the ghost to the cemetary of Heike family and told to play Dan No Ura.

He did not know that the samurai and his audience were all ghosts. One day the head priest of the temple found out that Houichi has been possesed by Heike Ghost.

[momopeanuts]

The head priest filled Houichi's body skin with Buddhism mantra hoping it would repell the ghosts. He was going to guard Houichi that night but he could not, because he was asked to hold a funeral survice for a villager.

Houichi sat in front of Buddha's statue, silently praying.

When the night falls, he heard a heavy foot step and jingling sounds of Samurai's sword.

"Hoooooh ichi" it said.

Houich sat there, holding his breath.

"Hoooooh ichi" it said again.

[momopeanuts]

The samurai said "...I don't see Houichi but it is funny, I see a pair of ears floating in the air........."

Samurai's icy hands grabbed Hoichi's ears.

Zap!

"....Let's hope my lord and my lady would accept these gifts of flesh......."

Houich was found in the following morning by the priest. He was alive but full of blood.

Priest grieved for failing to cover Houich's ears with mantra.

Since then, Biwahiki no Hoichi became Miminashi Houichi.

He played his biwa for the rest of his life.

[DreamsofDarkness]

My goodness she's good! I keep listening to this song over and over. I must admit, I'm completely awed by this. I took Japanese for three years in High School, so I love all things Japanese of course. I'm thinking about sending this video to my Sensei.

[RoninDave]

by all means send him the link. I have some footage from this year's performance that I may put up over the holiday if I have time

[DreamsofDarkness]

I so wish I could have this song as an mp3

[silverpenwolf]

Wow that thunder at the end gives it a really haunting feel!! I would have loved to have been there :) thanks for uploading this!

[2channelgeek]

nice vid! and some of comments here are interesting... They say this song sounds like metal.

speaking of metal, somehow this song is lilbit like Black Sabatth.

[IranGayBoy]

Hidious sounding Peace of Junk Instrument. The Chinese Pipa is 1000% greater then this Biwa peace of Shit

[akaiYaMa9]

The same could be said for you...

[emptyna]

totally agree T_T god they totally waste pipa

[emptyna]

btw.. this(watch?v=-ZmAgFyVo48) is what i called pipa... not someone playing it with a wooden ruler and singing some ghost song

[gariadara]

Yeah in terms of timber and range of notes the Chinese Pipa-which is the precursor of the Biwa-is a superior instrument. But what it comes down to is that they produce different sounds that create different feelings. If you want to play Norwegian folk fiddles you'd use a Hardanger, not a concert violin, though the violin may sound better playing a symphony.

[MasterCorruptor]

aaah så det er sånn det er... takker for fin forklaring.

[MultiFacets]

Oh, my gods. This literally took my breath away.

There was Power in her voice, and beauty in her music. Amazing. There's no other word for it. This is simply amazing.

Thank you for sharing this.

[Otacon144]

What a beautiful voice that woman has. Strong, enchanting... and haunting.

[chikariii620]

急に降りだした激しい雨，怖ろしい雷音、琵琶奏者の素晴らしい語­りと琵琶の音が天につうじたのか。「壇ノ浦の合戦」にはピッタリ­。Thank you very much.

[digitaldelacroix]

Hi Dave, (my name too in fact), I noticed that after I wrote this. Isnt Kwaidan the most incredible artwork!. I am looking forward to following your exploits on youtube, looks like you have heaps of fun in Japan!

[digitaldelacroix]

Super cool, biwa player is amazing despite all the insensitive dudes chatting away in the background! check out Hoichi the Earless story in the movie Kwaidan for the ultimate version of Dan no Ura ( my opinion).

[RoninDave]

Kwaidan is in my movie collection and the Hoichi section is my favorite part.

[ThreeOnAmeathook]

...by far.

The other stories were good too, but omg...that recital of Dan-no-ura before the Heike ghost counsel...was, I'd go so far as to say, profound.

[oiboot]

This is so creepy... So beautiful, and creepy!!! Thanks a lot for catching this and uploading here! This is spectacular!!!

BTW, 3:32 sounds pretty much like Behemoth's song "Decade of Therion". Creepy too)))

[rozennightshade]

That is like the most epically metal thing I've ever seen. Wow.

[sekigunstyle]

I am thinking exactly the same thing. Biwa minstrels were the metal artists of the middle ages.

So heavy, so much shredding, so epic lyrics.

[Oretoasonjikure]

Couldn't have said it better myself :D.

[elvispelt]

Excellent all around. But the sound...bravo!

[UKchinaman]

it's like a begginer playing a pipa 琵琶.

[loverpath]

dots.

[RealSkyDiver2]

how can you type with a stray jacket on??

[UKchinaman]

i am not, but I am amazed you're near a computer at all

[RealSkyDiver2]

so now they test computers on monkeys?

[Fishroads]

that biwa rocks

[lypipheras]

wah...that was hardcore...creepy too...

[Copernicussun]

Spectacular performance. Glad you managed to capture something so powerful.

[chunkeymunkeyfilms]

pssh i could do that shit

[JakubStoll]

琵琶がトテモすごいと思いますね～。日本、愛してる。

PS: Ten Američan na začátku je podle mě dost trapný. Ale co jiného čekat=)

[faintwest]

it jus廿sounds like shamisen

[RoninDave]

I think the biwa has a deeper sound