Shima Uta

Shima Uta (島唄, Island Song?) is a 1992 song by the Japanese band The Boom. It was written by the lead singer, Kazufumi Miyazawa, based on his impressions from visiting Okinawa for a photo shoot. It is the band's best selling song, well known throughout Japan and Argentina, and one of the most widely known songs associated with Okinawa. The band members are all from Yamanashi Prefecture and the song uses a mix of modern pop and rock styles as well as min'yō. Okinawan musical instruments and Okinawan vocabulary have been incorporated into the song. Although the title Shima Uta which is originally a term for traditional music from the Amami Islands, the term Shima Uta is currently used for traditional music from the Ryukyu Islands.