Archive for the ‘Artist’
Creating New Worlds with a Musical Instrument from Abroad: Kumiko Oguri’s T’rung Trio
There’s a Japanese woman who plays a traditional Vietnamese musical instrument called a t’rung. When she starts to play, a grand, soul-stirring sound emerges from around her small frame. She is at the core of a trio which is an ensemble somewhat jazz-like in nature, producing moisture-rich grooves. I paid them a visit and found out what kind of dreams the three of them are carrying forward on the palanquin that is their music.
Festivals on the Edge: Tsukimi-do
There’s a mysterious shop in a place called Suginuma that is run by a mysterious couple. I was drawn to them because of an improvised concert that was held on May 16, 2009 which was so beautiful, holy, and wonderful. It’s hard to express exactly what they are in just a word or two. You could call them avant garde musicians, and you could also call them shop owners. They’re clearly different from regular people, living in a way that we don’t encounter often.
Making Daydreams: Tetsuwari Albatrossket
Tetsuwari Albatrossket is a group of stage entertainers. Their performances are like a four panel comic in rock form . They don’t present any conclusions, and they don’t force anything on their audience. They seem to have a point to what they do and at the same time, no point at all. Short performances unfold on the stage one after the other in quick succession. The audience is never in agreement about where to laugh: everyone finds something different to laugh about. It’s comedy, but at the same time it’s not comic. They launched in 1997 and twelve years have passed since then and they are finally beginning to attract some attention. I spoke to Inui, the scriptwriter, Misao, director, and actor Murakami.
Ashes to Dishes: Ougaku Tougei
Sakurajima has a special place in the hearts of the Kagoshima people. It’s an active volcano located in Kagoshima Bay, just off the coast from Kagoshima City. The volcano has minor eruptions on a regular basis even today. Sakurajima-yaki is a local pottery made from volcanic ash and natural hot spring water. It’s completely unique to the Sakurajima area. The pieces themselves have a primal quality that speaks of the dynamic source of the materials. The makers of Sakurajima-yaki run a little kiln at the base of the volcano called Ougaku Tougei. The kiln they run isn’t a traditional one with several generations of history. It was in fact established one generation ago by a man who managed to make his passion a success within his lifetime.
The Mountain Luthiers: Jersey Girl Handmade Guitars
Rock and jazz, soul and country. Nearly every genre of music today owes a lot to the electric guitar. From swooning stage-side groupies to little kids playing air guitar in their living rooms, it has captured generations of the public imagination. If you’re talking brands; Fender, Gibson, and Fernandez are all big names that immediately come to mind. However, there is one little guitar manufacturer hidden in the mountains of western Tokyo with a staff of just two. Rumor has it that they sell out every guitar show they attend in the States. Exactly what is it about this tiny workshop? We took a trip out to their studio, Jersey Girl Homemade Guitars for a visit.
