Daniel Mantey - 'Kokiriko song' - (Japanese traditional)

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'Kokiriko Bushi' (Kokiriko song) - Japanese traditional, arranged and performed by Daniel Mantey - Music All Sorts; drum and recorders, with Ami Mantey and Kenji Mantey - vocals.

Summer of 2007, a Saturday morning at breakfast, my daughter Ami (9) showed me a Japanese folk song in her school music book that they had heard in school the day before. She asked me to teach it to her, and I suggested she learn it herself at the piano! She did, and she and Kenji (7) were singing and humming it all day long. That evening, about 7:30, they wanted to watch a DVD, and I said 'no, wait, lets have some real fun!'

I turned on my studio, and quickly played and recorded the Kokiriku tune on a sopranino recorder, ad-libbed a few other backing parts, and called the kids in. In less than an hour we had this all recorded, though I might have added the drum the next morning as it was already getting late, and didn't want to bother the neighbors?

The Kokiriko is a traditional Japanese percussion instrument, and the song tells of playing it and dancing to it (I think, I need to ask my kids again!). I have not actually ever seen or heard a real Kokiriko, though I know it is NOT a drum, but a string of bamboo pieces shaken and rattled together? And here is the old folk song all about it! That is the drum and recorder used, and that is a painting of the three of us, from exactly that month, 2007 painted by Nara artist and friend Yamanaka Hidefumi.