Kakeai

• Japanese: 掛合 (kakeai)

Kakeai is an antiphonal ("call and response") technique used in certain kabuki performances, in which singers and shamisen players from different traditions perform within the same piece. Some of the most typical combinations are nagauta & kiyomoto, and kiyomoto & gidayû; a few pieces in the repertoire make use of three styles, such as nagauta, kiyomoto, and tokiwazu, at once.

References

• McQueen Tokita, Alison. "Music in kabuki: more than meets the eye." The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, 2008. p245.