On November 15, the “Marking The Japan-Jordan 70th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations” lecture concert was held at the Min-On Culture Center attended by some 150 people, including envoys from four diplomatic missions in Tokyo.
The event was organized by the Min-On Concert Association with the cooperation of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Representing the Jordanian embassy for the occasion, Counsellor Salma El Taweel delivered the opening remarks, praising the lecture concert as a bridge of cultural diplomacy that transcends national borders to bring people together.
Tareq Jundi, player of the Middle Eastern short-necked lute and a Musicians Without Borders trainer, and Azumi Nishizawa, an internationally acclaimed pianist based in Spain, performed in the concert segment of event. In addition to playing traditional Jordanian scores as a soloist, Mr. Jundi offered a rendition of “Moon Over the Desert,” a time-honored Japanese piece.
In her piano solo, Ms. Nishizawa performed “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” and other compositions drawing on Spain’s Islamic culture. The two artists then came together as a duet to play the Iraqi song “Khawater” and other Middle East socres, as well as the Japanese song “Down Come My Tears.”
Greeted by an enthusiastic audience, the musicians’ performance concluded with “A Town with an Ocean View” from Ghibli Studio’s feature-length anime film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.”