The Ainu are an indigenous people of the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions of Japan. I became interested in Ainu music after hearing a song on the radio. The song is called "Iuta Upopo" by Umeko Ando. The pronunciation of the Ainu language has quite a bit in common with Japanese. I could sing this simple song after just hearing it once. However, of course, I couldn't understand a bit of what the song meant.
The number of people who speak Ainu is decreasing. If I were to learn any language other than English, I'd like to learn Ainu. I've heard that Ainu has two words for "we"; one includes "you", and the other doesn't.
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I've heard about the Ainu, briefly, through my Japanese Pimsleur lessons! Very fascinating history, indeed!
Thank you for adding the link! I liked it a lot. Interesting topic
@xxmastervxx Yes, it's fascinating. In Japan, the hit manga "Golden Kamuy" has increased the number of people interested in Ainu culture.
@xoranima Yes, this song is great. It's traditional, but sounds like music from the future.