Umeko Ando's Iuta Upopo offers a deep exploration into traditional Ainu music, presenting a rare and intimate sonic experience. Released in 2017 by Pingipung, this record captures the haunting vocal performances and cultural heritage of the indigenous Ainu people of Japan. The album features a collection of ritual songs and chants that preserve a unique musical tradition largely neglected in mainstream media. Iuta Upopo stands as both an artistic document and a spiritual journey, where the natural rhythms and melodic structures evoke the landscapes and ancestral ties of the Ainu community.