Retaining Shima in Shima Uta: music as mnemonic expression of heritage in contemporary Kakeroma

Abstract

The music culture of the Amami islands of southern Japan is a distinct regional form that constitutes an important element of contemporary Amami identity. This local music tradition is most strongly represented by the form of song known as shima uta. Our paper explores aspects of shima uta with substantial reference to the characterisations and interpretation of the nature of shima offered by Jun’ichiro Suwa in v1 n1 of Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures, published in April 2007. Our intention is to illustrate the temporal transition and reformulation of aspects of shima sensibility in the late 21st Century, drawing on our field research in the Amami islands in mid-2006 and subsequent analysis.

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