Satsumabiwa originated in the southern part of the Japanese island of Kyushu in the 16th Century from Heikebiwa. It is a form of katarimono, recitation with instrumental interludes. It represents one of the art-forms that sounds most unfamiliar to western ears.

Thomas Ranjo studied in Japan with Fumon Yoshinori (1911-2003), who learned the art during the Golden Age of biwa playing in the 1930s and was one of the last exponents of the traditional style of Satsumabiwa.

Ranjo will perform Shiroyama 城山, which tells of the Seinan Rebellion of 1878 and the death of the Hero of the Meiji Revolution of 1868, Saigo Takamori 西郷隆盛. The text printed in Japanese with translation and commentary will be available. 

Photograph Credit: Frances Marshall