Honmono no Gaijin (“The Real Foreigners”) is a quirky, heartwarming hyperfixation on traditional Okinawan music. Multi-instrumentalist Yyan Ng (Where Water Meets) and violist—and 2022 Freedman Fellow—Katie Yap team up on sanshin (Okinawan three-stringed banjo), shakuhachi, viola, and voice, blending their diverse musical backgrounds with the vibrant sounds of Japan’s tropical south.

From playful children’s songs to raucous drinking tunes, they’ll have you singing along—whether you know the words or not!