by Peter | Sep 30, 2014 | Cultural Exchange, Jazz & Popular, News, United States of AmericaRA
Shannon Powell and the band onstage “Let’s fly down or drive down to New Orleans / That city has pretty historic scenes / And I’ll take you, and parade you down Bourbon Street.” A concert of the Shannon Powell Traditional All-Star Jazz Band began with the...
by Peter | May 24, 2014 | Cultural Exchange, Folk Music & Dance, KoreaRA, News
Min Young-Chi is one of Korea’s most vibrant young traditional musicians. As a master percussionist playing the janggu (Korean hourglass drum) and a skillful player of the daegum (Korean bamboo flute), he has performed in Korea and Japan as well as at venues...
by Peter | May 24, 2014 | News, Tohoku Hope Concert
March 11, 2014 marked the third anniversary of the great earthquake and subsequent tsunami which devastated the northeastern coastal areas of the Tohoku region. While still enduring severe conditions, thousands of people in the affected region have worked together to...
by Peter | Feb 28, 2014 | Japanese Arts, News
Japanese people who were born and raised in outlying areas of Japan outside of the major metropolitan areas typically have a particular song that is familiar to everyone from that area, and on hearing it usually gives rise to nostalgic feelings for their hometown....
by Peter | Feb 28, 2014 | News, Outreach
A salon is a comfortable, intimate space perfect for small concerts and talks, or for the reception of important guests. Indeed, concerts of exquisite chamber music were often held in salons, and hence the genre of European salon music was born. The Min-On Culture...
by Peter | Feb 28, 2014 | Japanese Arts, News
The koto is considered a national musical instrument of Japan. It has 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the wooden body, which is some six feet long. Its origins can be traced back to the Chinese zheng, which was first introduced to...