It is my honor to announce the publication of Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and Explanations: Songs of the Floating World , released this spring by Routledge Press, under the imprimatur of the SOAS Studies in Music Series. 
   Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and Explanations is a collection of translations and detailed explanations of seventy-three representative songs from traditional Japanese Edo-period ensemble music, known as sankyoku. These songs comprise the genre known as jiuta sōkyoku and were performed primarily on the shamisen and koto (oftentimes with shakuhachi accompaniment). These songs are still performed and loved in modern Japan.
    The book begins with a detailed historical review of the jiuta sōkyoku genre and the various socio-political influences at work in its formation, followed by the translations and commentaries on the individual songs. The translations include the Japanese lyrics along with their Romanized transliterations, a direct word-for-word translation, a literary translation and contextual information and commentaries regarding musical and performative aspects of the song. The book also includes a substantive glossary and bibliography. Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and Explanations guides the reader into a deeper understanding of this fascinating genre of traditional Japanese music and hopefully will be of interest to researchers, ethnomusicologists, Japanese studies scholars and poetry lovers who are interested in the literary and musical impact of the Edo period.
    The book includes a number of color ukiyo-e prints, lent courtesy of the Honolulu Museum of Fine Arts Michener Collection. These stunning prints provide a visual reference to the thematic material of the song lyrics. The book also includes a link to five professional recordings of these songs.

The book can be ordered through Amazon (a Kindle version is also available) or directly through the Routledge Press site.

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