The Kyushu 'Biwa' Traditions

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with a regional music culture. The 'biwa' music of Kyushu and the near reaches of southwestern Japan has a history that overlaps with that of the canonical 'heike-biwa' tradition (Chapter 4) but differs in many respects, including the incorporation of 'biwa' as a tool for Buddhist ritual, the relations of sung or recited text to written text sources, the kinds of narrative repertory performed, the contexts for performance, and the types of instruments played. The Kyushu 'biwa' traditions can be seen as distinctive regional practices which at times have been formative influences upon the 'biwa' narrative music favoured in Japan's historical centres of cultural and political power, while at other times being deeply influenced by those canonical styles.