Day 10: A Shamisen Serenade

The next day, our stomachs were relieved to have a break from the richness of the previous days' meals;    after a light, healthy dinner of vegetable and tofu nabe, it was our ears that were to be indulged.
I was lucky enough to be at the home of percussionist Kenji Uenozono on the same night renowned shamisen player Shugen Ishii decided to show up. Having played together for many years, their chemistry was impeccable, each change seamless.

 African and Latin American inspired beats drove the performance, pacing the tempo while every stroke of the shamisen string sent shivers down my spine. 

I was entranced, totally captivated by the music coming from these instruments I'd never seen before but vaguely remembered hearing at one time or another in my life, although there was no way of placing when or where. But it didn't matter; I just closed my eyes and let my mind drift along with the melody.