"Asadoya Yunta" originates in Taketomi Island in Okinawa. It is a very popular song, singing about a beautiful lady, "Asadoya nu Kuyama" who was brave enough to reject the wedding proposal from a government man. The Japanese government came to Ryukyu and ruled around that era, so this song has a little anti-government theme. The Asadoya nu Kuyama's house is one of the tourist attractions in Taketomi Island. If you are on a water buffalo ride, the Ojii will play sanshin and song it for you!
There is a slow version, called "Asadoya Bushi." The words are same but the melody is quite different. The most popular version is called "Shin Asadoya Yunta" and the words are not in Yaeyama dialect, but in standard Japanese. It does not sing about Asadoya nu Kuyama at all.
"Yunta" is a style of songs, which is a very basic components to make the Yaeyama songs and dances very special from other parts of Okinawa. Yunta sing about intensive labors (farming), a joy of and a prayer for an abundant harvest of crops, love, building houses, etc. in a narrative fashion.
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