FAQ: What is Soul Flower Union??

Members

NAKAGAWA Takashi Lead Vocal, Guitar, Sanshin (= Okinawan 3 strings)
ITAMI Hideko Guitar, Changgo (=Korean percussion), Vocal
OKUNO Shinya Keyboards, Accordion
KAWAMURA Hiroshi Bass, Vocal, Guitar
*ITO Koki Drums
*OKUMA Wataru Clarinet
*UTSUMI Yoko Lead Vocal, Ching-Dong, Percussions

Surname shown in capital letters. *Support members.

Soul Flower Union

SFU were formed in 1993 from the merging of two bands, Mescaline Drive (Itami and Utsumi) and Newest Model (Nakagawa, Okuno, and Kawamura).

SFU are searching for the original music that is not an imitation of Western (rock) music. They are learning about the cultures of the Ainu (*1), Okinawans (*2), Koreans ... etc.

  1. The indigenous peoples of the Japanese Islands.
  2. Okinawan Islands are at the South-East end of Japanese Islands. KINA Shokichi and Champloose, from main island Okinawa, has influenced Soul Flower Union very much.

SFU have been visiting Kobe regularly to play for the (chiefly elderly) people affected by the Great Hanshin Earthquake (Jan. 1995).
To know how they are playing in Kobe, listen to their album 'Asyl Ching-Dong' (1996 Respect Record (TEL:03-3746-2503) RES-6).

Soul Flower Mononoke Summit

is their alternative name when they play acoustic Ching-Dong (*1) music. They play old popular songs of Japan, and folk songs of Okinawa, Korea, Ainu.
  1. "a form of street music usually played by chindonya - kimono-clad, face-painted musicians who were once a frequent sight in Japan acting as musical adverts."
    Potter, J. 1996. "Soul Flower blossoms". Kansai Timeout. Mar., 1996

Publications of Soul Flower

  1. Konge Jiho (=Soul Flower Times, monthly)
  2. No Guru (irregular)

Soul Flower Earthquake Fund

What is that?
Soul Flowe Union founded Soul Flower Shinsai Kikin (Soul Flower Earthquake Fund) for the elderly and the handicapped victims of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake (17th Jan. 1995) who need nursing care at home.
The members of Soul Flower Union have promised that all of the donations collected will go directly to the volunteers and settlements. They plan to visit the elderly and the settlements first to determine those in the greatest need. They will also provide a full financial report on the success of the Earthquake Fund in their publication Konge Jiho (=Soul Flower Times).

(Original text written in Japanese by SFU)

Contacting address

for the publications and Soul Flower Earthquake Fund

Soul Flower Office
Sendagaya 1-20-1-405
151-0051 Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

TEL: 03-3402-5845 (from outside Japan: 81-33402-5845)
FAX: 03-5770-7442

[Soul Flower Union Official Home Page] by Soul Flower Office

Folk Roots no. 160

has an article on Soul Flower (Oct. 1996, p. 29-31. by Paul Fisher).
See also Folk Roots Home Page.

Strictly WorldWide X5

You can listen to the sound of Soul Flower Mononoke Summit on the compilation album made in Germany by PIRANHA:
European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals presents
Strictly WorldWide X5
PIRANHA (Berlin). CD-PIR1041
18 artists, 18 songs from marginal Europe, Africa, Latin America, Quebec, and Japan (Soul Flower).
For catalogue of this label and WOMEX (European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals presents), contact:
e-mail: piranha@contrib.com

Electro Soul Flower Times