Warabe-Uta Remix: Japanese Children's Songs

Produced by NY Licorice Ensemble Recorded & Mixed by Satoshi Ipponjima of Penguin Record Assistant Engineer: Ryo Yamashita Graphic Design: Aiko Toda Photographs by yOU (Yuko Kawasaki) Recorded at China Cultural Complex, July 22-24, 2015 Special thanks to Central Musical Instruments Co.,Ltd. & Ishimori Wind Instruments Co.,Ltd. Furious Artisans presents the 3rd release from NY Licorice Ensemble, featuring all new works composed for the group as part of a composers competition in which the candidates were asked to arrange traditional Japanese children's songs (warabe-uta). The NY Licorice Ensemble, always seeking to present new cultural and musical activities in Japan and the U.S. focused now on ”warabe-uta,”–Japanese traditional children’s songs, for the third CD. We looked back on songs we heard from childhood many of which are cultural treasures and decided to introduce them to the world in a context of newly composed music, “warabe-uta remix.” In response to our call for newly composed pieces with motives using “warabe-uta” via the internet, to our surprise, we received 33 entries, all of a very high level. Six members from the ensemble formed a review committee; they listened to all 33 samples provided by the composers. From these, the committee chose 12 which the ensemble read and recorded and out of those 12, the committee finally chose 6 to include on the CD. In addition to these 6 pieces, included on this CD we have works of three composer friends of ours each of a different nationality. Since there are pieces using motives from the same songs; you can enjoy the different approach each composer has taken. We hope you enjoy this newly presented world of traditional warabe-uta heard through these nine unique pieces. If this collection inspires Japanese audiences to recall the beautiful and joyful words and melodies of warabe-uta, and if warabe-uta can become more familiar worldwide through this CD we will be truly happy.