From the Consulate-General of Japan:
The Consulate-General of Japan and the Japan Foundation present the “ABEYA” Tsugaru-Shamisen US Tour, Celebrating the Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial. In collaboration with Portland State University Center for Japanese Studies.
In 1912, the city of Tokyo gave Washington, DC the gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees to be planted around the Tidal Basin. The trees have since flourished and now transform the appearance of the nation’s capital each spring, standing as permanent reminders of the friendship our two countries share. To commemorate this important event, ABEYA, Japan’s top Tsugaru-Shamisen Performance Ensemble, is traveling to 5 cities, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and Honolulu to introduce American audiences to Japanese traditional music infused with the energy and power some of Japan’s most acclaimed young performers.
7:30pm Thursday, April 12, 2012
Lincoln Recital Hall, Room 75
Portland State University
1620 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
$10 - general
$6 - student
PSU Box Office: 503.725.3307 / tickets@pdx.edu
WHO:
ABEYA, a musical sensation in Japan, is coming to the United States for a limited tour!
The group has racked up numerous national awards despite the young age of its members. They are masters of the Tsugaru Shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument that produces deep, emotionally moving sounds with a percussive quality that is ideal for performing Japanese folk songs. They’ll play sets from a wide-ranging repertoire that includes traditional music from several different Japanese regional musical traditions throughout Japan, their own unique material, and jam sessions where they can express the creativity of the moment. Listeners will be taken on a tour of Japanese folk music of the last 150 years, as well as hear the more modern stylings ABEYA has incorporated into their music. In addition to the Tsugaru Shamisen, members play the flute and the drums. The ensemble includes patriarch Hidesaburo Abe, his two sons- Kinzaburo and Ginzaburo Abe, the beautiful Maya Nemoto, Ryu Gokita and Tatsumasa Ando. Their performance style represents a creative blending of the Japanese traditional arts with the personality and spirit of Japan’s younger generation.
The Japan Foundation Press Release in English:
http://www.portland.us.emb-japan.go.jp/tips/pressrelease_abeya_eng.pdfThe Japan Foundation Press Release in Japanese: http://www.portland.us.emb-japan.go.jp/tips/pressrelease_abeya_jpn.pdf
PSU flyer:
http://www.pdx.edu/cjs/tsugaru-shamisen-us-tour-0The Japan Foundation’s page has YouTube link of Abeya’s performance: http://www.jflalc.org/ac-events-abeya.html
