Rolling Coconuts #34

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Tornadic Uke did make the new edition of RC. The lower have of a page about three-fourths through the magazine heralds their arrival as something new. It points out that the album is definite rock on an uke. Ukulele is a free-wheeling instrument and rock is free-wheeling music, they go on to say.

This issue also introduces someone I have never heard of--Chihiro Wada. She is described as an ukulele-player doing avant-guarde and pop. I have been rummaging around to try to find out what this would sound like, but I have yet to find anything on the Internet to listen to. She seems to be heavily involved in a group called California Dolls. You might be able to find their voiceblog on their website. Apparently, she has also been featured in the British magazine "Wire".

The most surprising bit for me personally in the article on Wada really concerned something else. In the interview she talks about buying her ukulele in Pan Music in Ochanomizu. I dropped by there yesterday out of coincidence looking for the new RC. They have scaled back their ukulele section from most of one floor to the stairwell. The ukulele publications were gone, including RC. Perhaps they have been move up to the floor above with the other magazines, but it was closed.

I did find a shop up the street selling unusual handcrafted ukuleles. I will find that again and post on that in a month or two.