Then as the tempo raised, they slowly started to play the 'sanshin' , even as the plump drummer 'Sunday' started to chip in with traditional drums, and occasionally clucking his voice 'hup' 'hup' , which added a unique feeling to the dark and dingy ambience in the hall.

The three musicians from the Okinawa islands  are in the city to perform a two-day concert on 18 and 19 November, organised by the Japanese-Consulate at Chennai, ABK-AOTS Dosokai, Tamilnadu centre and the Japan Foundation.

According to Oshima, the rich song traditions of the Okinawan islands, which in the past was part of the Ryuku kingdom, were shaped by various influences owing to to their historical ties with China and other Asian countries till the 17th century.

'The traditional 'Sanshin' (three stringed instrument) has come to the Ryuku kingdom from China in the fifteenth century, and similarly the drums has its link with China and India, ' said Oshima.

Oshima further said that the songs of Okinawa vary depending on the time of it its composition and added that through this two-day performance the troupe would strive to introduce the multifarious appeal of Okinawa vocal art to the Indian art connoisseurs.

On the lighter side Oshima said that Chennai food is tasty and the climate resembles that of Okinawa and added that the troupe is eager to hear the lilting tunes of classical 'Hindustani' and 'Karnatic' renditions.
The group has individually performed at Europe, Mongolia and Korea.