Akita Ondo

A folk song from Akita Prefecture. During the Kanbun era (1661-1673) in the Edo period, when Lord Satake requested a te-odori (hand dance), his retainers made the children of the domain learn it by adding "yawara" to it, and had them dance in front of the lord while singing the folk song, so it was called "Okuni Ondo." The lyrics are not so much a song as a series of funny puns, and are accompanied by shamisen, flute, large drum, and bell. This "Okuni Ondo" gradually lost its vitality, but it was incorporated into the Bon Odori dance of the Nishimonai district of Ugo Town in the same prefecture, where it became "Toru Ondo," and was then incorporated into the festival of Kakunodate Town in Senboku City, where it became "Senboku Ondo." It spread throughout the prefecture, so it is called "Akita Ondo" and is also sung as a Bon Odori song. Along with "Akita Jinku" and "Akita Obako," it is a representative folk song of Akita Prefecture.

[Akira Saito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

秋田県の民謡。江戸時代の寛文(かんぶん)年間（1661～1673）藩主の佐竹侯から手踊りの所望があったとき、家臣が「やわら」の手を加えて藩の子女に習わせ、この民謡を歌いながら藩主の前で踊らせたので『御国(おくに)音頭』といっていた。歌詞は唄(うた)というより、おもしろおかしい地口の連続で、三味線や笛、大太鼓、摺鉦(すりがね)などで伴奏する。この『御国音頭』はしだいに活力を失ってきたが、同県羽後(うご)町の西馬音内(にしもない)地区の盆踊りに入って『トル音頭』となり、また仙北(せんぼく)市角館(かくのだて)町の祭礼に取り入れられて『仙北音頭』となった。それが県全域に広まったので『秋田音頭』とよばれ、盆踊り唄としても歌われている。『秋田甚句(じんく)』や『秋田おばこ』とともに秋田県の代表的な民謡である。

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