Bukimisha Goes Orchestral!
That weird and mysterious group from Japan has resurrected a rare work, once thought lost and possibly forgotten, that was created by the legendary composer, Akira Ifukube. Unlike the many ‘a capella’ renditions previously created by Bukimisha, NATIONAL FOREST was too precious a rarity and demanded it be performed by an orchestra with a female choir.
During the mid-1950s, Japan’s Rural Film Association, with financial assistance from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, engaged the maestro to provide a score for a series of three industrial films. These were to be screened at the Asian Forestry Conference and for this, Ifukube was a perfect choice. He had initially chosen Forestry Officer as a career path upon graduation from college. While the course of his life changed to music, his love and respect for the natural beauty of his homeland clearly radiates from this amazing piece of work.
No public performance was ever staged for the three films, which a
