2009兩廳院世界之窗日本系列-吉田兄弟新三味線

Best of Yoshida Brothers--Tsugaru Shamisen

基本資料

舞台上懷抱著傳統的津輕三味線，左右兩旁交錯對坐，一下手就是急速的音符流洩翻飛。隨著兩人同聲的吆喝，古調歌謠、爵士、拉丁、搖滾、電子舞曲與後現代拼貼......就在他們的手中爆發出千變萬化的丰采。風靡各地的吉田兄弟，不僅音樂混搭，身著傳統和服和武士褲，搭配著時下新潮的髮型和顏色，他們的造型也是傳統與現代的結合。

奠基傳統 再生新潮

從五歲起學習三味線起，兄弟倆便注定要大放異彩，一路囊括多項全日本重要大賽獎項後，更從二十出頭起展開創新之路。他們唱片銷售超越十萬張成績，早期樂曲〈萌芽 Sprouting ) 獲得電影《藝妓回憶錄》的宣傳採用、任天堂遊戲機Wii 也以他們的作品〈鼓動 Kodo〉 作為廣告配樂；而其爆發力和勁道深受樂迷喜愛，單曲更曾登上 iTunes 下載榜的亞軍。種種的功勳使得吉田在成功地攻佔海外各地的同時，更替三味線開創了一條新的出路，重新喚起年輕人學習的興趣，使三味線的人氣在日本及境外皆扶搖直上。日本的三味線，事實上就是十六世紀經過琉球 ( 今沖繩 ) 傳入的中國樂器「三弦」它的得名來自樂器的弦數，然而在經過長時間的樂器改良、彈奏手法及文化、派別等洗禮之後，三味線如今早已成為日本傳統的代表性樂器之一。相較於其他樂器，三味線平滑的直桿上沒有任何琴格 ( Fret ) ，可以自由地在音樂上做出大幅度的滑音，這是其他如琵琶、月琴這類有品相的樂器所無法達到的表現力。此外，吉田兄弟所使用的流派樂器稱為「津輕三味線」，源自於日本北部青森縣津輕地區的，使用粗桿彈奏津輕民謠。在始祖「仁太坊」 ( Nitaboh ) 的改良後，右手力道大幅提昇，將「彈」弦的理念改以撥子「擊」弦，也因此津輕三味線也常被比喻為「打擊」而非「彈撥」樂器。雖然只有三條弦，卻充滿彈得出豐富的色彩，而由於旋律豪邁、音色鏗鏘、節奏快速，加上自由即興，使得它有「日本爵士樂」的稱謂，無怪乎吉田兄弟的演奏能夠與搖滾、重金屬、電吉他等音質協調得如此完美的原因。

呈現「當下」的舞台

「透過津輕三味線，我演奏的是現在自己感覺到的音樂！」對於他們的跨界與前衛的作法，有太多人對他們提出質疑 ── 既然演奏新潮的音樂，為什麼堅持穿著和服、武士褲、夾腳拖鞋？既然決定古風打扮，為什麼卻染著金髮、龐克造型？......然而吉田兄弟的哥哥良一卻做了這樣的回答。

「我們的主題是『傳統』與『革新』我也盡力將這兩個意念同時表現給全世界。」他們認為活在這個一方面復古、一方又求新的年代，最適合自己的表達方是就是「自然地呈獻自己！」也就是說，所有的髮型、造型，都不是特別故意要做任何效果，只是為了符合現在這個潮流所呈現的各種面向。至於傳統的保存，他們的想法非常特別，表示只有三味線才能彈奏出它原有的韻味，再如何創新，都無法改變以彈奏三味線為演奏基礎的事實。所以傳統也應該要有這個時代要傳下去的想法和技術，現在所做的努力，或許正在替未來創造新的傳統！

成團至今恰巧是演奏生涯的第十年，吉田兄弟戲稱兩人經常為了音樂意見不合，然而不管是與其他樂器結合，還是兩人一起的合奏，「並肩配合」卻是兩人一致追求的信念。

音樂中，不論是日本元素的必然性，還是津輕三味線的可能性，吉田兄弟的音樂就像線上雜誌 The Globalist 所言那般「證明了擁抱傳統也能風靡全球。」

 

The Yoshida brothers seem destined for fame. They began playing traditional Japanese musical instrument shamisen at the age of five, and have since then won numerous awards at competitions in Japan, had over 100,000 record sales, and started a creative career in their early twenties. Their song Sprouting was used in the movie trailer for Memoirs of a Geisha, and Kodo was featured in Nintendo's Wii video game commercials. Widely loved by fans , they had a no. 2 at the iTunes Store World Top 100 Singles. Successes like these have opened up a new terrain for this traditional instrument, making the shamisen increasingly popular in Japan and elsewhere and attracting young people to learn how to play. With a long neck and fretless lute, the shamisen allows musicians to produce a great range of notes connected by portamento, making it a particular and distinctive feature Also, the Yoshida Brothers play a style of shamisen music known as the Tsugaru shamisen, a genre originating in the Aomori prefecture in the northernmost area of the Japanese island of Honshu, where Tsugara min’yo (folk music) is played. The founder of Tsugaru shamisen, Nitaboh, created the special way of “striking” the strings instead of plucking them, which also contributed to this style of music being noted for having a “percussive” rather than “plucked”quality. Tsugaru shamisen has a versatility that enables clear and strong melodies, sonorous tonality, and wildly energetic beats. All that, and freely improvised tunes, have made this particular style of shamisen music the “jazz of Japan.” It is little wonder then, that the the Yoshida Brothers' shamisen playing practice can blend in so perfectly well with rock, heavy metal, and electric guitar sounds. Stage of the “Present” “With Tsugaru shamisen, I play the music 1 feel right now！” Many people have questioned their crossover and avant-garde ways -Why insist on wearing wafuku (kimono) and samurai gear with playing such new and trendy music? If you decide to dress in traditional styles, why dye your hair blond and sport punk hairstyles? To such doubtful inquisitions, the elder of the Yoshida Brothers, Ryoichiro replied, “Our main themes are ‘tradition’ and 『reformation,’ and I strive to present these ideas together to the whole world.”They believe that, living in this simultaneously retrospective and innovative age, the best way to express oneself is “Present yourself naturally！” That is to say, all the styling and hairdos are not specially done for any special effects； they are simply meant to represent every aspect of the present trends. As for the preservation of traditions, they are convinced that only this instrument can deliver the original flavour of music, and no innovation can replace the fundamental fact that shamisen's playing is the essence of the show. Hence traditions must also be equipped with ideas and techniques of this day and age； perhaps all the efforts being made now are for the creation of new traditions in the future！ This year is the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Yoshida Brothers. They joke about their musical differences and disagreements, but, when all is said and done, the idea that they will “work with each other side by side” is the common goal. Whether it is the necessity of Japanese musical elements, or the possibilities of Tsugaru shamisen, their music has indeed, as described in The Globalist, “[proven ] that even the most global music is rooted in local soil.”

戀愛
氣息
全景
時間的流沙
月光
風暴
傳承之路
彩雲
百花繚亂
鼓動
朦朧夜
津輕 Jyongara 民謠

Koichi
Ibuki
Panorama
Time of Sand
Gekko
STROM
Michi
Saiun
Blooming
Kodo
Oboro Zukiyo
Tsugaru Jyongara Bushi

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