Yoshida Brothers
Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium
Reviewed: October 29
The Yoshida Brothers promised to 'incorporate western musical attributes' in their work, and for the better half of their concert the shamisen-playing siblings almost made good on their pledge. Plucking at their three-stringed instruments like guitar, they proved that fusion works when done with imagination and integrity.
While staying close to the roots of tsugaru-shamisen - in which flashy fingerwork and improvisation is paramount - Ryoichiro (pictured left) and Kenichi Yoshida (right) inject more melodic leitmotifs and unison-playing into their numbers. Now on tour with a barren set - the only support comes from the flashy Brazil-trained percussionist Ippiki Takemoto - the pair have found their true voice liberated from the overproduced excess of their studio productions.
The first six numbers proved the pair's worth, bursting with vitality: tracks such as Tosa No Sunayama and Canon showcased their fretwork and co-ordinated playing.