Champloose
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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. Singer and lead songwriter Shoukichi Kina's electric shamisen was a particularly distinctive part of their sound. First major single was the classic "Haisai Ojisan" (Hey, old man), 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" (Firefly) was a minor hit in British discos, and their ballad "Hana" (Flowers), 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.
- See List of Japanese rock bands for more.