Sionna Lunchtime Concert: The Lute of the Samurai: An Introduction to the Satsumabiwa
Thomas Charles Marshall (Thomas Ranjō)
A performance-led presentation exploring the Japanese Satsumabiwa tradition through live performance, sung narrative, and contextual commentary. The programme introduces the instrument’s historical associations with storytelling, memory, and samurai culture, while offering audiences an encounter with one of Japan’s most distinctive narrative music traditions. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Thomas Charles Marshall (Thomas Ranjō) is an Irish performer and researcher of the Japanese Satsumabiwa, a narrative music tradition historically associated with the samurai. He studied in Japan under the distinguished biwa master Yoshinori Fumon (1911–2003), from whom he received the performance name Ranjō. His work combines live performance with research on Meiji-era songbooks, exploring how music, text, and performance illuminate questions of historical memory, cultural identity, and political imagination in modern Japan. He has performed and lectured internationally in Japan, Europe, Australia, and the United States.
