Mitsune

Mitsune is a Berlin-based shamisen trio from Japan, Australia and Germany. The three musicians specialize in the Tsugaru Shamisen, a traditional Japanese 3-stringed instrument played by blind folk and itinerant musicians in ancient Japan. Mitsune's repertoire includes a lively mix of traditional Japanese songs, virtuosic modern compositions, and original compositions with influences from blues, rock, and global music. Their performances are engaging and joyful, spiced with vocals, bamboo flute and percussion to the sounds of shamisen. The name Mitsune translates from Japanese as "a sweet sound," but is also a reference to the word "mitsu," which stands for three of something - the three strings of a shamisen, three women, and three cultures coming together in harmony.