Yosakoi Videos

Chris asked about naruko and the actual Yosakoi dancing, so I thought I would post links to a few videos that show what Yosakoi really looks like. The two required elements for Yosakoi are naruko (wooden clackers that were historically used to scare birds from fields) and inclusion of some part of the song Yosakoi Naruko Dancing.

The first video is of a performance of the Yosakoi Naruko Dancing song. Each group used the song in their own way; some groups had techno dance remixes, while the International Team used a fairly traditional sounding version. I've had this song stuck in my head ever since practice started. This video gives you a good idea of the tune and lyrics. My favorite line (and one of the only ones I actually learned to decipher) is, "Tosa no Kochi no Harimayabashi de, bosan kanzashi kau o mita." Roughly, it means, "In Tosa's Kochi at Harimayabashi, I saw a monk buy a hair ornament." It's from the story about a monk who fell in love with a lady and was caught buying a hair ornament for her. I originally thought he was put to death for it, but I read somewhere else that he and the lady were banished from Kochi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJx8vdHkMJE&feature=related

I liked the second video because the team makes good use of their naruko. Those are the wooden clackers they are holding in their hands. You should be able to hear the rhythms they clap out with them. Our team's dance was fairly simple and not super strenuous, but featured a lot of naruko. Remembering the rhythm of the clacking was partly what helped me learn the steps, because if I could remember what the dance was supposed to sound like, I could work my way back to the movements that would make the right rhythms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-MvzUYrD6U

In the third video, you can actually see the van which hauls the sound system for the dance team. This van is one of the fancier ones with working lanterns on the sides. You could kind of get a sense of the team's budget based on their van and costumes. The International Team is fairly small and not so wealthy, so our van was small and fairly plain. The wealthier teams buy new costumes every year and may even have their own staff to touch up makeup and hair throughout the day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsR3CMhyERA

The fourth video is of an especially cool team. Their flag guys are crazy energetic, which is really amazing when you consider that they've been marching and dancing all across town since morning (and will keep going until after dark). When the red and blue dancers line up side by side from :40 to :54 seconds into the video, take a good look at their sleeves. Each sleeve shows half of Harimayabashi bridge, with the monk on one half and the lady on the other. Isn't that awesome?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlu31edwRWM&feature=related

Okay, I'll try to stop spamming you guys with posts for a while. Things have just been eventful lately, and I'm really enthusiastic about Yosakoi. I wanted to give you an idea of what it looks and sounds like.