Written and composed by Kazufumi Miyazawa of THE BOOM as a requiem and tribute to the victims of the Battle of Okinawa. Blending traditional Ryukyu musical scales and sanshin with contemporary rock instrumentation, it became a massive nationwide hit in Japan, selling over 1.5 million copies.
In 2001, Argentine actor and musician Alfredo Casero recorded a passionate cover retaining the original Japanese lyrics. Released during Argentina's severe economic crisis, the song deeply resonated across the nation, eventually becoming the official 2002 FIFA World Cup anthem for the Argentina national football team.
A solemn Okinawan requiem was redefined across continents into an uplifting national stadium anthem in Argentina.