Hello,

I'd like to invite you to our event. Many of the artists and people attending speak English so it should be a fun night to speak English and enjoy some very creative performance too.

Hope to see you there!!!

The Event

Utage is the first of a series of events featuring performers who are blending traditional ethnic performance with contemporary influences. We invite you to imagine that you are spending an evening traveling along the ancient silk road taking in the sights sounds and textures of a world that is both exotic and familiar.

The Artists

Yoshino: Turkish Saz and Percussion. This artist is a brilliant Saz player with a very original contemporary style blending current riffs and rhythms with traditional Turkish melodies. Baglama Saz is an almost magical instrument that has been growing in popularity in recent years. With a sound that can easily capture and keep your attention it is a magical instrument that will be both exotic and familiar. This is a rare chance to hear a wonderful up and coming performer in an intimate and cozy Tokyo space. Yoshino-san will be joined by a special guest Turkish percussionist.

Namiko (Blooming Rose): Namiko is a co-founder of the Blooming Rose Dance group who perform Arabic, Turkish, Tribal and Contemporary Belly dance. Ethnic dance has become a very popular activity in Tokyo. But few performers bring the intensity and elegance that Blooming Rose do to their performances. Namiko's movement can only be described as like watching water flow or silk moving in the wind. She is a talented young artist and rarely performs as a solo performer.

RainInEden: RainInEden blends traditional ethnic instruments and percussion with electronic music. Taking inspiration from cultures along the Silk Road, Japan, China and Persia, our music ranges from melodic down tempo pieces to vibrant tribal dance pieces. This event will feature percussion from Nepal, Egypt and Ireland along side Japanese and Chinese string instruments and a special improvisational piece with Yoshino-san on Saz.

Improvisation and Dance: The night will end with an open improvisational session with all the artists. We invite you to bring zhils, bells, shakers or small drums if you would like to join in. With darabuka, doumbek, madal and swirling dance, you will want to have something to shake, beat or chime. (we will have a few items on hand that you play). We will also be welcoming guest dancers for the improv session, so if you feel the impulse to dance, please do.

The Space
Gamuso Gallery is a wonderfully intimate space located in Asagaya, just a few short stops from Shinjuku on the Chuo line. It is only about 3mins from the station and is one of Tokyo's hidden treasures for creative performance and art.

Reservations are encouraged. Gamuso is a warm, friendly space and a great site for an intimate evening of performance. We are offering reserved seating for this performance with advance requests. Please see details below.

Event Details

Utage: An Evening of Ethnic Performance
Date: Friday May 25th at Gamuso Gallery
Doors: Open from 6:30 with DJ and Performance from 8pm.
Cover: 1,000 including one drink.
Reservations: There will be limited reserve seating available with advance ticket purchase.
map: http://www.markisa.net/gamuso/map.htm


Thank you for reading our long invitation email. And I hope to see you there.