Kouta (music)

Kouta (小唄, lit. 'little songs') is a type of traditional Japanese music that originated in the red-light districts of Edo period (1603–1868) Japan, before developing further and experiencing wider popularity in the geisha districts that succeeded many red-light districts. Originally popularised by geisha as an alternative to nagauta ('long songs'), kouta are typically no longer than 3 minutes in length,^[1]: 9 are played on the shamisen,^[2]: 56 and are generally accompanied by singing and traditional dance.