Cultural Translations

koto and also to my group and koto combined with Finnish national instrument kantele, woodenflutes, Figure percussions, 5: Minna accordion, Padilla electric bass guitar and Figure voice. 6: The Helsinki reaction Koto from Ensemble Japanese peoplewas very positive towards my music and our playing. They even said that my music felt like walkinginto a Finnish forest, gives you feeling like falling in love. My wonderful koto teacher YukikoOriginally trained as a Finnish folk musician at the Sibelius Academy, Minna studied koto briefly atTakagaki requested us to visit her home and we played also there as a vocal and koto duo. Shewas both interested the Tokyo in my National compositions University and thought of Fine that Arts this and is a the new Hokkaido style to play University the koto.” of Education, where herprior musical training and technique enabled her to learn remarkably quickly. However, the style ofMinna explained that the lyrics of many of her songs are derived from Japanese poetry fromthe 9 th through music that 19 th she centuries, would eventually particularly develop as translated is quite different into Finnish from by traditional Kai Nieminen Japanese and koto G. J. playing.Ramstedt. Minna Specifically, described Minna Japanese has composed responses to musical her own settings koto ensemble to the words music of as “Jakuren, follows: Ono noKomachi, Basho, Sampu, Kito, Issa, Shiki, Seibi and Saighyo Hoshi.” According to Minna, “SomeJapanese“Myhaikumusicandgroup,tanka poemsMinna Padillahave special& ThebeautyHelsinkiandKotointerestingEnsemble,thoughtswent tointourthemto Japanthat makefor the firsttime in 2006. I was anxious to know how the Japanese people would react to me playing the kotome ask more and find the answers in musical language.” To Minna, musical sounds provide anand also to my group and koto combined with Finnish national instrument kantele, wooden flutes,opportunity percussions, to express accordion, the ineffable electric essence bass guitar of a poem’s and voice. original The atmosphere, reaction from and Japanese she offered people the was veryfollowing positive as a specific towards example: my music and our playing. They even said that my music felt like walking into aFinnish forest, gives you feeling like falling in love. My wonderful koto teacher Yukiko Takagaki“Like in the poem of Jakuren (my composition Night on the Mountain) I found it was veryrequested us to visit her home and we played also there as a vocal and koto duo. She was interestedinteresting to think about melancholy’s connection to colours or non colours. This made me feelin my compositions and thought that this is a new style to play the koto.”that this poem is more like sentimentality, beauty of giving up than crushing sadness. Like treesgetting ready for winter’s coming. Then I started to compose music to find colours for this.”Minna explained that the lyrics of many of her songs are derived from Japanese poetry from the 9 thAlthough through some 19space th centuries, for improvisation particularly as is deliberately translated into included Finnish by in Minna’s Kai Nieminen music, and it is G. primar-J. Ramstedt.ily melodic Specifically, and fully composed Minna has with composed clear musical forms. My settings application to the words of the of model “Jakuren, to Minna’s Ono no music Komachi, is Basho,offered below:Sampu, Kito, Issa, Shiki, Seibi and Saighyo Hoshi.” According to Minna, “Some Japanese haiku andtanka poems have special beauty and interesting thoughts in them that make me ask more and find theanswers in musical language.” To Minna, musical sounds provide an opportunity to express theineffable essence of a poem‟s original atmosphere, and she offered the following as a specificexample:“Like in the poem of Jakuren (my composition Night on the Mountain) I found it was veryinteresting to think about melancholy’s connection to colours or non colours. This made me feelthat this poem is more like sentimentality, beauty of giving up than crushing sadness. Like treesgetting ready for winter’s coming. Then I started to compose music to find colours for this.”34David G. Hebert