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Japan’s blues come from its Appalachian regions, cutting Tsugaru shamisen echoing sounds of the African American country blues. But these blind players had no known connection to Africa. “Burusu” was most likely first composed in the 1930s by Ryuichi Hattori, an existential moan coming from a rapidly modernising Japan. Now it’s time to turn the lights off, turn the volume up and exorcise some ghosts, with a dance at a Japan Blues.

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