Ragtime songs delivered with rhythm and pathos
Who could resist? Experience the raw enjoyment of this trio combining broad smiles with guitar, violin, and clarinet. From rock staples to classic music, nothing is beyond their reach. Veterans of past festivals in Motomachi Park and also our events during Corona, including our 24-hour inline show. Rumour has it that Choice-chan may sometimes appreciate the odd tipple, so grab your own summer libation and join them for a summer celebration.
On a journey with folk songs from Okinawa
Born in Hakodate, Kanako Horiuchi’s singing voice has come to embody the heart of the Okinawan people, as she passionately presents the islands’ music to the world. Horiuchi was 22 years old when she was working as a director in an advertising agency in Tokyo, shooting a commercial starring Seijin Noborikawa (a leading post-war Okinawan folk singer). She heard the sounds of a sanshin (traditional three-string instrument) for the first time, and although she had no impressions of Okinawa and had never even played any instruments, watching Noborikawa made her think “I want to learn to play this and then head overseas!”
In the years since that defining moment, she has delved deep into the world of Okinawan folk songs and now explores new possibilities for the genre through her global travels.
The sound of the gitamba animates the Yukara epic poems of the Ainu
The thin moon before the new moon is called “nincup” in Ainu language. It is a feast on the evening before leaving for the new world.
The spirituality of the Ainu people comes down to us through the centuries in the ancient form of the Yukara epic poems.
The live performances of nincup are like a story about the forest and the city, the longing for a new world, and the conflicts of the heart. The sound of the gitamba, a combination of guitar and bass guitar, permeates the traditional songs, dances, and the music of the Ainu people.
