Here’s a video of Yugao’s performance at Urbanguild on Sunday night. Yugao are Yoshida Koichi on shakuhachi, Ikeda Ippei on piano, William Prunkl on cello, and special guest Fujisawa Bayan on tabla and percussion. This is, I believe, a Hungarian tune, and it is quite beautiful:
I’m pleased to say that shakuhachi player, Yoshida Koichi will be joining his old friend the folk-singer “Udonya Mentei” on the 21st of January for the Kyoto Musicians Against the Aquarium event. And if you would like to hear what they sound like together click here.
UPDATE November 18th: Kata Wittmann has sent me some more information about that Hungarian tune! Kara says…
…this is a hungarian folksong and I would write some information about, if you don’t mind. 🙂 You can hear it in the opera called “Hary Janos” (1926.) from Zoltan Kodaly. The title of the song is “Tiszán innen, Dunán túl”. (Thanks to my Mom, she also listened this Yugao performance, recognized and told me what song it is. 🙂 )
You can hear how this song sounds in original: click for youtube
The lyrics is (in English):
Háry (the guy): This side of the Tisza [a river], beyond the Danube [also a river]
Beyond the Tisza, there’s a horseherd with his herd
His little bay horse is tethered with a felt tether
Without a rug with his master.
Örzse (the girl): This side of the Tisza, beyond the Danube
Beyond the Tisza, there’s a cowherd with his herd
He grazes his herd and waits for his sweetheart
There on a bed of grass.
Háry: This side of the Tisza beyond the Danube
Beyond the Tisza, there’s a shepherd with his herd
There they cook a paprika stew [real tasty]
And eat it with a little fork, with a wooden spoon
From the stew-pot.
Together: This side of the Tisza, beyond the Danube
Beyond the Tisza, there’s a little hut with a poplar T
here my thoughts will always be
My heart is after that to be there together…
[but in hungarian it sounds much nicer than in english]… and performing on japanese instruments is breathtakingly beautiful I love it. 🙂
Thank you so much Kara!
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