On Sunday, May 24, experience the rustic sounds and island soul of Okinawa at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center.
Titled “Minyō no Yūbe”(An Evening of Folk Music), this biennial recital showcases local instructors and students who play the sanshin, a traditional three-stringed instrument that has become synonymous with traditional Ryūkyūan music.
Songs from the Ryūkyū Islands range from festive to melancholic, and are sung in the indigenous Ryūkyūan languages (designated as severely endangered by UNESCO) and sometimes in Japanese.
The event will feature music groups from across Southern California – from the Inland Empire all the way down to San Diego – with special dance performances by Majikina Honryū Aigen no Kai and Miyagi Ryū Toyomu Kai (Palmdale).
“Minyō no Yūbe”is organized by Ryūkyū Minyō Kyōkai Hokubei Shibu (Ryūkyū Folk Music Association North America Branch) with support from the Okinawa Association of America (OAA)’s Geinō-bu (Performing Arts Committee).
Even though Okinawan performing arts in Southern California date back to the early 1900s, the North America Branch of Minyō Kyōkai was formed in 1979 by Shin-Issei (post-war Okinawan immigrants) who wished to actively preserve and perpetuate traditional folk music for future generations.
The Nakaoka Community Center is located at 1670 W. 162nd St. in Gardena. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the show begins at 12 p.m. General admission tickets are $35 donation (includes bentō lunch and bottled water) and can be purchased online (tinyurl.com/minyokyokai2026) or directly from performers. Payment must be received by May 10; payments received thereafter are not guaranteed a bentō. More info: ryukyuminyokyokaihokubeishibu@gmail.com