Technics of Relief

7/17/21

Uyafaafuji's Refusal: An Ode To The Yanbaru // 先祖たちの拒絶

Colonization's impact, aftermath, consequences and collaterals as well as ancestry and generational inheritance are deeply personal and important topics. I've always struggles to convey my thoughts about them or expand on them. The closest nonfictional read I've had on the topic was Les identites Meurtrieres by Amin Maalouf and it miserably failed me.

So it was the most bewildering gift of 2020 that I would stumble upon a contemporary poet, shō yamagushiku, whose crafted words would not only convey my feelings over the topics, but also expand on the thoughts I have been having, demystify them through the spoken word and offer venues of critical approaches and healing. He didn't have to be from the same background than me to speak up the polarity, the process of unlearning, the shedding of the intrusive skin and the call of ancestry in the almost sickening way it calls within one's bones.

I understand the struggle of making a controversial voice heard in the mainstream of comfort and appeal for more of less the same. I understand the call to discomfort is not 'trendy' yet and consumers of entertainment want to be entertained, even when tackling hard issues.

But I'm happy my favorite poet is FINALLY treading the Indie path and making his own path. I invite you guys to check a sample of his upcoming duo album:

Uyafaafuji's Refusal: An Ode To The Yanbaru // 先祖たちの拒絶

shō yamagushiku and yana-imi are a spoken word/uta-sanshin duo based on the lands of the WSANEC/Lekwungen and Tongva Peoples respectively. Their work prioritizes the creation of immersive sonic soundscapes accompanied by visual media to convey stories that weave a lifeline to their island roots. Together, they call on their ancestors’ guidance to tell stories of yearning, loss and recovery from a shimanchu (Ryūkyūan) perspective.

ショウとヤナイミは、WSANEC/LekwungenとTongvaの両民族の土地を拠点に活動する話し言葉・歌三線のデュオです。彼らの作品は、自分たちのルーツである島へのライフラインを紡ぐ物語を伝えるために、映像によって没入感のあるサウンドスケープを創り出すことに重点を置いています。彼らは、祖先からの指導を仰ぎ、島人（琉球人）の視点から憧れ、喪失、そして回復までの物語を共に語ります。

https://shoyamagushiku.com

https://linktr.ee/yanaimi

https://powellstreetfestival.com

From the dense rainforest of memory, strange images and sounds present themselves. Our uyafaafuji (ancestors in Okinawan language) appear to intervene in our daily lives. They refuse to let us forget, refuse to let us compromise and refuse to let us live restrained by the laws of the nations that seek to claim us. This video offering combines uta-sanshin, spoken word and elemental images to invoke a dialogue with our uyafaafuji, known and unknown. We inhabit this place in hopes of better understanding our responsibilities and to increase our capacity to choose relationships that are grounded in mutual reciprocity and respect.

Album preorder at a starting price of $3 : https://yanaimi.bandcamp.com/album/uyafaafujis-refusal-an-ode-to-the-yanbaru

6/20/21