In a recent article written for the Northwest Asian Weekly, "The Enduring Power of the Omoro Sōshi", Prof. Davinder Bhowmik describes how the Omoro Sōshi, a collection of some 1,500 songs written in the 16th and 17th centuries and the oldest extant text in Ryukyuan literature, offers insights into how early Ryukyuans expressed and practiced indigenous linguistic, musical, and other cultural traditions. The Omoro lives on today, Prof. Bhowmik writes, in contemporary expressions of Okinawan identity and spiritual and cultural practice.
Prof. Bhowmik will be delivering a talk on the Omoro Sōshi on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, for the Department of Asian Languages & Literature's 2025 Washin Kai Spring Lecture. Find more details on the Washin Kai Presents: Lectures and Events page, and register beforehand for both in-person and virtual attendance.
