In Japan these days, music and politics don't generally sit well together. On the face of it, a group who seem to have bucked the system is Osaka's Soul Flower Union, who released a new best of album on Sept. 20 and are now on a nationwide tour.
With tracks such as "All Songs Go Forward to Freedom" and "Swing Guerrilla Declaration," and with lyrics about East Timor and Palestine, both places the band has visited, at least they would appear to be bucking the system.
But not so, according to the group's guitarist and covocalist Hideko Itami, who, unlike the rest of the band, has lived in Okinawa for the last two years. "Lots of people have said that Soul Flower Union is political, but all we're doing is singing about issues that touch our daily lives. We just want to have fun with everyone. . . . In any case, do you know of any American musician who speaks out about all the unbelievable events that have been happening in the world? I can name one: Patti Smith. Who else?"
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