Champloose
Shoukichi Kina & Champloose is a Japanese band from Okinawa blending traditional Okinawan music with a strong Western rock influence. Their name is apparently derived from the word for a traditional Okinawan stir-fry, chanpuru. Singer and lead songwriter Shoukichi Kina's electric sanshin was a particularly distinctive part of their sound. First major single was the classic "Haisai Ojisan", written while Kina was still in high school but not a hit until a few years later, in 1972. Later, Champloose's version of the Okinawan folk song "Jin Jin" was a minor hit in British discos, and their ballad "Hana", with vocals by Kina's wife, became a weepy favourite in many Asian countries.
Their first, self-titled album, released in 1977, remains a Japanese folk-rock classic.
