This release is compiled from two albums originally recorded and produced by Hatsuo Okuhara between 1970 and 1973 and issued as "Songs of My Homeland: Ikema Folk Song Collection," newly remastered and reissued by Makoto Kubota. Beyond its immense value as documentation of the (musical) culture of Ikema Island, what stands out most is the beauty of a living tradition rather than a preserved one, and the sheer force with which the sound itself bears down on the listener. "The richness and brilliance of the content are almost unbelievable. The songs are wonderful, and the singing and the groove of each performance are absolutely first-rate. It's the biggest shock and thrill I've had since first encountering the Marufuku pressing of 'Hai-sai Ojisan' back in the '70s. The songs, playing and singing heard here—distinctive to Miyako, or rather to the Ikema people—were recorded roughly and lo-fi, but the sound and atmosphere that come through are even more astonishing for it." — Makoto Kubota