Articles by Kennerly Clay

The bouncy twang of the jamisen and the heartfelt bleat of traditional folk songs are the essence of Okinawan music. Shokichi Kina, an Okinawan legend, transforms that incomparable sound into a rocking frenzy of color, dance, and pleas for peace and earth conservation.

On almost any night in Naha, Okinawa’s capital city, you can stop into Chakura, Kina’s own "live house" venue, and groove to the definitive sounds of his band, Champloose. If you’re lucky, Kina himself will be performing. read more