Rock star in rare collaboration with Japan's classical puppet theatre
Japanese veteran rocker Ryudo Uzaki gestures as he speaks at an interview in Tokyo. AFP PHOTO/Kazuhiro NOG
By Shingo Ito
TOKYO (AFP) After belting out rock 'n' roll songs for nearly three decades, veteran rocker Ryudo Uzaki has taken a surprising turn in his musical career, playing to accompany Japan's classical "bunraku" puppet plays.
Last year Uzaki played his music for performances "Sonezaki Shinju" or "Love Suicides at Sonezaki," by Monzaemon Chikamatsu (1653-1724), regarded as Japan's greatest playwright.
The 57-year-old rock star and his band will perform this unique collaboration between contemporary Western music and the traditional Japanese dramatic form dating from the 18th century in a two-day run of the play at the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka in late April.
Instead of the traditional accompaniment by the three-stringed shamisen for the tragedy which tells the story of young merchant and his prostitute lover who commit suicide Uzaki will play the electric guitar and sing his own compositions.
"I grew up with Elvis songs, and have since listened to and played R & B (rhythm and blues), hard rock, and all types of American and British rock music," the singer told AFP in an interview.
"As rock 'n' roll is deeply rooted
in my mind, I once thought that I would become an American in
the end mentally and even physically," joked the chain-smoking
Uzaki who still combs back his hair Elvis-style.
"But when I played bunraku, I vividly felt and realised that
I am just a Japanese."
"In bunraku, there are no such straight words like 'Hey Baby!'" Uzaki said. "I play my electric guitar, but the words, melody and rhythm are pure Japanese. It's a great combination."
Bunraku is one of the nation's most traditional forms of performing art in which puppeteers, clearly visible on stage, manipulate one-half to two-thirds life size wooden figures clad in miniature kimono clothes, to illustrate a story narrated by "tayu" ballad singers.
Uzaki, who won popularity in the 1970s with his eccentric songs and for the time unusual stage outfits of overalls and mirror sunglasses, said his dream of winning a global audience could still come true if he could tour abroad with this unique collaboration.
"Our band once tried to break through
globally in the 1980s by playing our rock songs in LA, New York,
Mexico, Shanghai, Beijing and even at the Elysee-Montmartre in
Paris. You name it," he said.
"But people over there said 'Your band is great great
for letting us enjoy something ... funny," he said.
"Their reaction was like; 'it's a nice performance by Japanese
who can play our Western guitars with our Western rhythm with
a few Japanese words of song,'" Uzaki said.
"We were completely defeated and felt
miserable. We never managed to get over that tough hurdle,"
he said.
"But now, I can sense that I will be able to make it with
bunraku. People's reactions in other countries must be different
from the one I felt in the past," he said.
"Considering my age, I know time is limited, but I want to bring this to other countries at any cost," he added.
Bunraku puppet players have welcomed Uzaki's
participation in their traditional theater, which is struggling
to regain popularity after being on the verge of commercial extinction
in the 1960s, with government support.
"I would like our audiences to enjoy the world of Chikamatsu
and Mr. Uzaki's brilliant music as we can present the traditional
bunraku performance with a fresh sense," bunraku puppet master
Monju Kiritake said when he first performed with Uzaki a year
ago.