Artists & Performers
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Watanabe is a former performing member of Kodo, with whom he drummed, danced, sang and played his fue across the globe; he left Kodo in September of 2006 and has moved back to New York City to continue making music on the fue, (flute) and taiko in a variety of settings as well as teaching at his Taiko Center in Brooklyn.
Ishigure began playing the koto and shamisen at the age of five in Gifu, Japan. After initial studies with Tadao and Kazue Sawai she became a special research student in 1986 at the Sawai Koto Academy of Music. The aim of the academy was to shed new light on koto music by incorporating everything from Bach to jazz and thus change the koto from being thought of only as a traditional Japanese instrument into an instrument of universal expressiveness.
Later Masayo Ishigure became one of a small group of virtuoso disciples of the Sawais and successfully completed the 33rd Ikusei-kai program sponsored by NHK to foster and train aspiring artists in Japanese music.
Reni Mimura
Reni specializes in Moe style performances, a genre that emphasizes the cute look of Japanese pop-culture with the hip appeal of Japanese animation.
She released her first Japanese CD in 2006, relocated to NY in 2008. Reni has been invited as a guest performer to Japan Society, Otakon, NY Anime Festival and Anime Boston, and is quickly winning over the hearts of many new local fans, thanks to her pretty stage costumes, upbeat personality, and her outstanding singing talent.
10tecomai
An exciting blend of traditional folk dance, modern choreography and rock music will be performed by the 10tecomai Dance Co., who will also conduct a dance workshop for children & adults to experience the excitement of the dance for themselves.
Ichifuji-kai Dance Association
Ichifujikai Traditional Dance Co. will present the story of “Urashima Taro” – about a young boy who saves a turtle from being beaten by other boys and is rewarded by travelling under the sea to the Dragon Palace which is filled with treasures.
Cynthia Nyouen Chaffee
Cynthia Nyoen Chaffee began her studies of shakuhachi and Japanese culture in 1983. She teaches piano and shakuhachi in her Huntington studio (recently renamed Chiku-en-an; bamboo garden hut).
Junko Fisher
Junko Nagahama-Fisher will once again grace the stage with her singing and Sanshin playing & dance. Okinawan classical dance/music and popular dance and music were approved as National Intangible Cultural assets to Japan, the same as Kabuki performance.
Ryu Shu Taiko
Long Island’s own Ryu Shu Taiko will present theirTaiko Tamashii (Taiko Spirit) salute to the Japanese people in their recovery and re-building from the devastation of the March 11 Earthquake/tsunami and consequent events.
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