Among the populer artists from Africa (Nyama Kante, BB Mo Franck) "j.o.o.k" a performance unit since 2004 founded by House/African style dancer Hiroko, and Dancehall Reggae/ Romani, Cabaret, Fire Belly dancer 'coco' Ayumi will give a special show featuring Djumbe drummer/model Franck Mel from Cote d'Ivoire and his partner Mukuna Tshiakatumba from Congo. 'j.o.o.k' is known for their 'Afro-Caribbean' style show and has been featured in many art, music events and music videos. Be ready for the breath taking ecstatic drum sound and the dance performance!!
Shino is a Japanese artist from Kochi prefecture whose work is inspired by African music and an intimate understanding of African culture. After wandering the African continent, he became an illustrator in 1987 and has since done wall paintings in Tokyo, Kochi and Kenya. The current theme of his work is “MAISHA” which means “life and live” in Swahili.
Nyama was born in Guinea and grew up in Cote d’Ivoire in a traditional “Griot” family, whose musical roots were based on the music of Mande tribes (with inspiration from Guinea and Mali). She started her professional music career in Abidjan, as a member of the musical theater “Koteba” and was in an idol group “Les Go de Koteba”. She is married to an anthropologist Hiroyuki Suzuki and came to Japan 1998.
BB Mo-Franck is a Congolese keyboard player, percussionist, lyricist and composer whose work is inspired by his research of African tribal rhythm with European and Zairean musicians. In 1983 he came to Japan to perform in the Hiroshima/Nagasaki peace concert, and his breathtaking performance with Sadao Watanabe made his name well known in Japan. Since then he has played at Piga Piga, for many international organizations, and has recently mixed culture in music with Japanese shamisen and taiko musicians.
Born in Kagoshima, Japan in 1974, Sakaki Mango studied the Swahili language at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies, where he also began his research on the music of Tanzania. He traveled to the African continent to receive direct training from the late Hukwe Ubi Zawose (then the lead limba player of the Tanzanian National Theatre) on the limba, and from Galikai Tillicoti on the mbira. In addition to the limba and mbira, Sakaki Mango also plays the electric likimbe, a Congolese amplified lamellaphone.
J&C are American study abroad students at Temple University's Japan campus in Tokyo. James Atchison is a visual artist and rapper from Texas with an avid interest in Japanese culture (he is a senior Asian Studies major, a student of Japanese language and a published manga artist). Born and raised in Maryland, Chris Gillyard is the only double major in Theater/Dance at Amherst College, who in addition to being in his college a-cappella group, is also captain of the football team.
ZULU NATION JAPAN Founded in 1972, the Universal Zulu Nation (UZN) is dedicated to harnessing the cultural relevance of Hip-Hop music to serve as a catalyst for education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to the well-being of youth throughout the world. UZN is a non-governmental, non-partisan, international coalition of Hip-Hop artists, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents, activist, and youth leaders united in the belief that Hip-Hop is an enormously influential agent for social change which must be responsibly and proactively utilized to address the issues of poverty, injustice, discrimination, racism, classism, mental and physical health and well being, and any other issues vital to the societies we live in.
VENUE: Super Deluxe in Roppongi Hills, between Nishi-Azabu Crossing and Roppongi station, at the intersection of Roppongi Dori and TV Asahi Dori
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PRODUCED BY
** Institute of Contemporary Japanese Studies (ICJS) **
The ICJS is an organization dedicated to fostering study and research on various topics related to contemporary Japan. The Institute hosts lectures, seminars, and symposia that provide a forum for Japanese studies scholars to present their work on issues related to contemporary Japanese social, cultural, and political issues. The ICJS reflects TUJ's commitment to offering research and study programs linking Japan and other countries, fostering greater overseas understanding of Japan, and serving an innovative role in international education in Japan.
現代日本研究所(ICJS: Institute of Contemporary Japanese Studies)