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Kawachi Ondo (河内音頭) is a kind of Japanese folk song accompanying the Obon dance (also known as Bon Odori), specifically in the old Kawachi region of Japan (modern-day southern Osaka Prefecture). What is peculiar about this song is that while it has a common melody (or variations thereof) and a returning chorus, the main lyrics of the song are fluid; there is not one set of lyrics for Kawachi Ondo. Instead, expert singers of the song improvise the lyrics depending on current events. There are some singers that put to the Kawachi melody words they are reading directly from a newspaper. There is varying instrumentation for Kawachi Ondo, though the staples are always a taiko drum and the shamisen. Sometimes modern day instruments are used in the Kawachi Ondo ensemble, such as electric guitars and bases. The most famous singer of Kawachi Ondo is Kawachiya Kikusuimaru.
