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TAKAYA TOMOYOSE'S WORLD
WHY JAZZ IS DEAD? LOOK THE CURRENT CULTURES THROUGH JAZZFROM OKINAWA,JAPAN
HOME (In Japanese)
1:TAKAYA TOMOYOSE (profile) (April.12th. 2002)
2:TAKAYA TOMOYOSE PAST WORKS(CDs) You can listen to the some of the music on the website. ( April 23,2002)
3: LIVING IN OKINAWA (essay) (Jan. 6th 2001)
New 4: New CD, " THE OLD SONGS " Now on Sale! ( April 23, 2002 )
Guitar player, composer, arranger of any kinds of music, such as jazz, rock, blues, folk,and all that local jazz........but not a singer of any ,born in Naha C. Okinawa, on Aug 4th,1959.
Starting his music career at the age of 16 at a local dance club until he ran away from the world.
learning classical guitar, jazz guitar, composition and arrangement of jazz by three teachers each at Tokyo,Japan.
He began to teach jazz in Okinawa ,1984.
He had been playing at local resort hotels from 1983 to 1989 as a luckless-always grumbling- guitar solo-bandman,while playing jazz with the other grumbling bandmen at a local live house"Jazz Box" until he ran away from the world.
1989, he had performed jazz lives at live houses in Tokyo, such as a major live house "Pit Inn" at Shinjyuku and all that no customer- jazz houses.
Like many luckless jazz players, he went back to his homeland (Okinawa ) again, began to teach jazz again, 1992.No choice,and back to the set position as a bandman.
He began to grumble again.
He has chronic inflammation of a tendon and its sheath.(In short, he always feels pain in his left wrist.)
He started to withdraw bandman'jobs,and keep his mind on the teaching job.One day ,when he waked up at the afternoon (not the morning..............good grief), he was aware that he has never been a bandleader since he he started his music career.
So, he made up his mind that he made his own trio as a positive man.
1995, he gave performances with his trio members again at some live houses.He has forgotten to think that people don't like serious jazz like the way he plays here in Okinawa.
People loves parties, the party jazz, don't like jazz which they can't dance to.
He quit giving performances here in Okinwa as a negative person in 1996.
One day, when he waked up at the evening (......good grief),he made up his mind to make CDs by editing his vast cassette tapes which contain his past performances since he was sixteen.
Oct.1998, he released four CDs as a memory of his past 15year- performances for his few enthusiastic fans.
He found out that he has no talent to be a good CD salesman.
One day,he got a phone call from a manager of a live house if he had a mind of giving live performances again.4 years have passed since he gave up playing.
He decided to be back to play jazz again as a positive man.
April,1999, he began to play jazz with his same old bass player at a live house "Mods" in Okinawa C. Okinawa regularly.
He remembered that no one loves his jazz.
But this time, he tried to keep playing for some reason.
He thought himself as a positive man.
The performance has changed from duo to trio.
On Feb.2001,he quit playing jazz with the trio,because of a few listeners, but continued to give performances of all kinds of music by acoustic guitar solo improvisation, regularly.
Jan 1st..2001, he started to open up his web.site.
Writing the ever-lasting -themes in learning jazz in Japan.
The title of the site is "Why Jazz is dead? Watch the current cultures of Japan and Okinawa through the crystal of jazz world in Okinawa." all are written in Japanese.
He has tried to prove the themes below;
*How the Japanese jazz snobs have obstructed the progress of jazz music in Japan.
* Why the Japanese jazz musicians mimic the styles of American established jazz players and sell the phrases as if their own stayles of jazz.
* Why jazz fans worship mimic jazz players in Japan.
*To dig out the new relations with American jazz for Japanese musicians.
* To create "Non Discrimination-Improvisation-Music "for letting jazz come alive.
One day, when he waked up at night (.....),he had an idea to make new CD of his original ballad songs by his acoustic guitar solo performances.
This time, he recorded at his friend's studio "Hee Hoo Studio" on Dec. 20th,23th, 2001, in Okinawa.That was the first CD to him to be recoreded at a recording studio as a positive musician.
He has become 42 years old.
He sold the music by processing CD-Rs with his hand-made jackets.
This was a way to create music for a poor musician like him but has great talent
The music was made to be fell good asleep for fighters against life.
On March 6th,2002, he has accomplished his three-year- task to give performances for a few audience.
The night was his celebration for making new CD:"The Old Songs"and the final day of his great performances for three years.
He is writing this page now.
*All his five cds are now available on the web.site of the CD BABY in the U.S.(http:/www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose)
4:40 a.m.April.12th. 2002
2:TAKAYA TOMOYOSE PAST WORKS ("Border-less-Improvisation-Music " )
"JAZZ GUITAR" ?
FROM OKINAWA
He is a professional guitar player,known by only a few people, even in Okinawa (born here in 1959),Japan.
Because he had been a bandman for a long time.
One day, he got an idea of selling his own music.
His music has various styles that people can not easily follow in the Jazz world in Japan, needless to say, here in Okinawa.
To listen is to believe. The direct massages; from Okinawa to the whole world. He has performed and composed Jazz, Blues, Rock,Traditional, ethnic, etc..
*To listen and buy the music, click the site below.
ALL WORKS: http://www.cdbaby.com/found?allsearch=tomoyose&allsearchsubmit=Search
Work1: http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyoseWork2: http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose2
Work3: http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose3
Work4: http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose4
New:The old songs：
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomoyose5
*Work 1: Acoustic Jazz Trio Live 95 (selection)
1: Blue in green.
2: Willow weep for me.
3: When you wish upon a star.
(CD total time：41min.26sec. )
This is the beginning CD in a series of his works (works; 1,2,3,4) over the last two decades for letting you know that he surely lives in our age!
A couple of nights in 1995, he did live performances in Okinawa. The performances are of Jazz Standard.
R-9870017. (C) 1998 Takaya Tomoyose
The price of Work 1 is $12.00
*To listen and buy the music, click the site below.( for foreign countries)
http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose
*Work 2: Electric Performances 1988-1995
1：Improvisation 1 "Passion"2：Improvisation 2 "a daydream"
3：Improvisation 3 " good old days"
4：Improvisation 4 " a requiem"
5：Bird's song (Spanish folk songs) Trio live 95
(CD total time：46min.02sec. )
(C) 1998 Takaya Tomoyose
This is the second CD in a series of his works (works; 1,2,3,4) over the last two decades for letting you know that he surely lives in our age!.
At a night,1988 at his apartment, when he was 27,he began to play the electric guitar to record his improvisations on a cassette tape.
Various kinds of music styles by the electric guitar solo improvisation. 1988-1995
Including a Spanish traditional folk song " birds song " with his own trio band (from Live 95 )
*To listen and buy the music, click the site below.( for foreign countries)
http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose2
*Work 3: Composition & Arrangement 1983-1994
1：Rythm a ning (T.Monk) 19902：Isral (J.Carisi) 1990
3：T.Rex (T.Tomoyose)1983
4：Pan's pipes (T.Tomoyose) 1988
5：A holiday of Lee Sei Hou (T.Tomoyose) 1988
6：Rill's orgel (T.Tomoyose)1988
7：Song for a sand thief (Okinawa folk song "Shina muchi busi") 1994
8：Cabaret (T.Tomoyose)1983
(CD total time：41min.26sec. )
R-9870138. (C) 1998 Takaya Tomoyose
This is the third CD in a series of his works (works; 1,2,3,4) over the last two decades for letting you know that he surely lives in our age!.
His genius pleasurable works in 1983-1990,recorded on a cassette tape.
One of the Thelonious Monk's tunes, etc...performed by an instant big band,,,,strange!! this is Monk!
An Okinawa traditional folk song, world music, music for children, etc...by computer, etc.
This is the world of his own!
*To listen and buy the music, click the site below.( for foreign countries)
http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose3
*Work 4: " Noise" Improvisation 1988
1：Improvisation " Lonely M "2：Improvisation " Alone "
3：Improvisation " Together "
4：Improvisation " 12:03 a.m "
This is the last CD in a series of his works (works; 1,2,3,4) over the last two decades for letting you know that he surely lives in our age!.
He created the new world by an electric guitar.
Easy listening noise!
This is the utmost form of Improvisation.
Feel what he felt comfortable in 1988. This is for "Noise" maniacs!
Can the noises have its own words to live with people in the world?.
No one can make a noise like that!
"Oh,I love the moment just has happened 10 seconds before!""Where ?"
" Where?...Well....Uhm....*-\#%**%%$$##-Part!"
*Work 4 is limited sale
*To listen and buy the music, click the site below. ( for foreign countries)
http://www.cdbaby.com/tomoyose4
JAZZ AD-LIB TRAINING FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS
SUN POWER MUSICmailto: ( sunpower@tomoyose.com)
TAKAYA TOMOYOSE（guitar,comp.arr.)
OKINAWA, Japan.
By Takaya Tomoyose
(1) I was born on a small island in 1959. This island was once called Ryukyu (Rekio) before it was invaded in 1609 by the people from the bigger neighboring island of Japan, and it was eventually named Okinawa in 1879.
The island was first mentioned in historical documents in the year 607, during ancient China's Zui dynasty, and a reference to the Ryukyu islands appeared in Japanese documents as early as 699.
(2) Although there are some similarities between Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, there are many cultural differences between them.
(3) The Japanese government decided to educate the people of Okinawa. At first, they banned children from using their parent language as a "dialect" in my father's elementary school days (he was born in 1927). If any children happened to use words in the Okinawan dialect, they would have to wear wooden placards suspended from their necks that read, "I've used dialect," so that they would be ridiculed by the other children. It was my father's daily job to have this placard on his chest.
(4) Next, the government told the students our history -- where we came from, and how the Sun Goddess is the Mother of us all.
This history informed of the students that both the Japanese and Okinawan people have many of the same forefathers, who are all from heaven. My dad couldn't remember this part very well because each of our forefathers have too many relatives of their own.
(5) My dad liked to play outside, rather than stay inside, he confessed later. I think the government didn't know what to do with people like him. The problem was they didn't know how to educate or what to teach children.
(6) Before I was born, Okinawa had been changed into "America" (not "America itself," but rather "an island for the American army," I was told). During World War II, many thousands of Okinawa natives were killed, either by the Japanese soldiers making room to hide themselves in the small shelters, or by the enemy Americans.
(7) Americans took control of Okinawa (and the rest of Japan) in August, 1945, at the end of the war. Although Japan regained its own sovereignty in 1952, the U.S. maintained control over Okinawa, as the Japanese government relinquished the island as a sin offering to America.
(8) After the war ended, the majority of the island of Okinawa belonged to the U.S. Army. Many U.S. troops were stationed on the island, and people on the island had to give away their own lands to them to use. They weren't able to enter their own property anymore, and the Americans put wire fences around the lands.
(9) Many children thought that if they saw or took a picture of any parts of the B-52 combat plane they would get arrested and possibly be killed. The island also used American money then. From the time I was born in 1959, l never saw any Japanese money until 1972.
(10) Few people realize how difficult it is for the people who live on the island to make a living there. In order to do so, people have to get along with the soldiers. Many people have made their living by opening bars to serve drinks to the young soldiers.
(11) Over the years, many children have been born as a result of one-night love affairs between young soldiers from America and native Okinawan girls. Most of the fathers simply went back to their homeland, and never returned to the island.
(12) Many such children left by their fathers have grown up without being able to speak English, even though they look like an American, whatever the color of their skin is. They had to go to a Japanese school, because it cost too much money to go to an American school at the military base in Okinawa.
(13) Many problems between the soldiers and the people of the island have occurred since then. These include such crimes as rape, selling drugs, and hit-and-run accidents. Many times, soldiers who committed such offenses went unpunished, for the local authorities often felt powerless to arrest them.
(14) When Okinawan children grew up, they began to entertain the soldiers by playing the rock music that they and the soldiers mutually loved. During the Vietnam War, many soldiers wanted to vent excess energy outside the base before they went to the battlefront. They would shout loudly and party hard at rock music clubs, and then go off to fight, sometimes never to return. Meantime, their superior officers, most of whom had higher education, loved jazz music instead, and so they would invite jazz musicians to the base and have a party there.
(15) In 1970, a historic riot happened in the downtown area of "Koza City" (later known as "Okinawa City"). The "Koza Riot" started one night when people in the city came across a car accident where an American soldier had run over a man in the street. Military police came to investigate him briefly, and sent the driver back to the base. A month earlier, a woman had been killed in a hit-and-run car accident by an American soldier.
(16) Bystanders at the second accident began to yell at the military police, and that was the beginning of the riot by the people of the city against the Americans. Whenever the people found an American on the street, they would hit him, and they turned over cars belonging to Americans everywhere in the streets. The Okinawans didn't hit black people during the riot, because they knew how the black soldiers were treated by the whites.
(17) On May 15, 1972, Okinawa was officially returned to Japan by the United States. Since then, the money has slowly changed from dollars to yen. Older people have gotten accustomed to it again, just as they did before.
(18) When I was a child, the slogan, "Return to the main island," meant to me that all of the people on Okinawa would have to go aboard a big ship in order to physically move to the main island. My elder brother believed that the island of Okinawa would begin to float toward the main island by itself. My little sister couldn't understand the meaning of the slogan, but her thinking surprised me: she had believed that the areas behind the wire fences were in fact "America" itself.
(19) Nowadays, Okinawa is a place to where many young people have moved from the main island, especially from Tokyo. Many of them have moved here in order to play African , Jamaican or Okinawan music for pleasure. Such music is often called "ethnic music" or "world music," although many of its players don't seem very interested in the history of other countries. Some of them behave like easy-going people, but they don't mix in well with the people of the island. They tend to only associate with each other to play their "world music" together, or with non-Japanese people who speak English (although most of them don't speak English themselves).
(20) Sometimes, these people will spend American money when shopping here, just like Americans do. I don't know where they get the money, but they seem to like to use it as if they were vacationers in the U.S. However, we don't use American money here anymore, especially among the people who are born here. Only the soldiers still use the money.
(21) The main reason that such people move to Okinawa is that this island is closer to other Asian countries. Asian people don't work as hard, so that goes well with their lifestyle.
(22) Many young people of Okinawa have tried to get fame from the main island by their music. But most of them haven't ever had the experience of living on the main island. The island of Okinawa seems to have attractive powers like a magnet, especially for young people who love to play music.
(23) I saw on television recently where young soldiers at the base were taking pictures of each other with hidden cameras while they were in training. They seem to enjoy living here.
（A 12-year-old girl was raped by three American servicemen on Sept. 4, 1995.）
(24) These days, Okinawans no longer care who we have belonged to or where we are from anymore. We just simply say, Welcome to our beautiful island," and ask, "Why don't you come here and have a lot of fun with the young people from all over the world?"
Because, I now believe, that is the real wisdom that our forefathers have left us.
(proofreaded by native speakers of English )
Takaya Tomoyose
Jan. 6 2001
4: New CD, " THE OLD SONGS " Now on Sale!
He is a professional musician from Okinawa,Japan, has been playing the guitar since he was thirteen.
Many years have passed since he recorded his performances on his past CDs ;TAKAYA TOMOYOSE Works1,2,3,4,when he was 27 or 35.
At last,he recorded his new music at his friend's recording studio,on Dec.20th,23tn,2001.
He has been writing his original songs for about 20 years.
These are seven songs of his great compositions.
He selected the songs for the listeners who enjoy listening to music when they go to sleep.
Recently, he has been doing solo performances from jazz to any kinds of music on the acoustic guitar.
This is an element of his various styles, with jazz and classical music flavor.
Why don't you get the CD,and dream a tranquil world in bed wih the music.How about a CD of happiness?
songs:
1: An old song (1999)2: White Blue (1999)
3: Waltz (1999)
4: Memories(1999)
5: Cabaret (1983)
6: Beautiful Night(1999)
7: Rose (1989)
(C) 1998 Takaya Tomoyose
TAKAYA TOMOYOSE (All composition, Guitar Solo)
Dec. 20th, 23th, 2001. Hee Hoo Studio
OKINAWA, Japan.You can listen to the music below
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomoyose5
If you live in Japan, you can buy it here.( \2,000, including shiping charge)Tue.April 23, 2002
HOME (IN JAPANESE)
JAZZ AD-LIB TRAINING FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS
SUN POWER MUSICmailto: ( sunpower@tomoyose.com)
TAKAYA TOMOYOSE（guitar,comp.arr.)