Tag Archives: Musicians

Tokyo, Japan: Traditional Music in Mejiro

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : CULTURE / MUSIC

Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Lost in the Mejiro small streets

where live aristocrates, I hear the sound. Through a narrow window, the frame of a distant green kimono surrounded by red, amphitheater. Shyly we get in, I take my shoes off to surf to a bunch, the hall is almost empty.

Few scattered people looking at the stage. We are watching a Hogaku concert rehearsal, the Japanese traditional music, Edo music. The exciting meeting with percussionists musicians and the green kimono actress. Picture below: the Uchiwa-ame plays the rain sound.

Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-5-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-4-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Harumi Mochizuki, the excellent Hayashi player (Japanese traditional drums) cames from an artist family: a percussionist mother and a singer father. She played around the world.

On the picture below, a Kotsuzumi on the Harumi‘s shoulder. Kotsuzumi is a small drum shaped like an hourglass and used in Nô theater

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Katada Kisayo, the gifted percussionist, is gratued of Tokyo University in Music, like all the musicians of Ayairobako (the band presented in this post). No “great sound” without “guitare hero”: on picture 5, two Shamisen players.

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Picture above: a traditional gift for Hina Matsuri, the Doll Festival or Girls’ Day (picture above). Mayuko Nakamura is the beautiful actress in the green kimono who declaims on music (picture below).

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Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés. 

Domo arigato gosaimasu to the Ayairobako band and my tomodachi N for the great translation! 

Informations

How to go to Mejiro by metroMejiro is a district in Tokyo.

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Tokyo, Japan: A walk and coffee in Omotesando and Aoyama  

DESTINATIONSHOTEL REVIEWS & LIFESTYLE 

5 Music Festivals in Great Britain

Guitare-1B-Photo Mademoiselle Le K- copyright 2010

Do you like music? Good point, here are 5 music festivals in Great Britain not to be missed after the summer! If you know some of those listed below, leave me comment! I look forward to hearing from you! 

1. BESTIVAL   

The big festival not to be missed this weekend September 5-8 (or to attend next year!), on the Isle of Wight, with an impressive line up of musicians and DJs (including Maya Jane Coles). And big names like: Nile Rogers (no he’s not the “new” guitare hero of the Daft Punk, yes he’s on “Get Lucky”!), The Roots, Snoop Dogg, M.I.A., Fatboy Slim, Franz Ferdinand, James Blake… and of course Sir Elton John. www.bestival.net   

2. THE MAYOR’S THAMES FESTIVAL  

This Londoner festival from September 6 to 15 is not focusing exclusively on music. But if you missed the famous Notting Hill Carnival, this weekend you can watch and dance with the Great British Carnival: a selection of the best British samba and soca bands.  http://thamesfestival.org/events/info/the-great-british-carnival-comes-to-the-thames     

3. PORTHCAWL ELVIS FESTIVAL 

You don’t know Wales, me neither. Why not enjoying the long weekend of September 27-29 to discover Porthcawl surrounded by many Elvis? It  sounds completely crazy, isn’t it?  The Porthcawl Elvis Festival is the world’s largest festival of Elvis fans! Music, attitude and wigs fans! The dream of all photographers! http://elvies.co.uk/  

4. OXFORD CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL    

If you prefer Vivaldi, from September 30 to October 5 the Oxford Chamber Music Festival, founded in 2000 by the violinist Priya Mitchell, a native of Oxford, presents chamber music concerts. This year the festival pays tribute to classical music inspired by the gypsy folklore, “Caravan, Gypsy Folk”. http://ocmf.net/  

5. LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL  

And to finish this short list of music festivals, the London Jazz Festival, November 15-24. For 10 years, this festival provides an excellent programming, mixing famous artists and new talents. Showing this year: Paolo Conte, Courtney Pine and Monty Alexander, Zara McFarlane, Matthew Herbert and many others … http://www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk/    

More informations : www.visitbritain.bewww.visitbritainshop.com 

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & CULTURE   

Poland: Attending a Famous Witches Show in Kielce

Poland-Kielce-Witches Show-11-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013

If you ask me what I preferred my too short weekend in Poland, without hesitation I answer you: people, people, people! In Kielce, I was invited to the fourth edition of the live show “Sabat Czarowinc” (Sabat witches) in the region of witches Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross), in the center of Poland (pictures 4 & 5). Live broadcast by TVP Polish national channel, with the cream of the Polish showbiz! Including these four trendy boys, with the unpronounceable name (sorry guys!): Kabaret Skeczów Męczących (KSM) who made me laugh a lot (picture below). No, they are not another exotic boyz band! Just four talented comedians who have revisited the famous Gangnam Style of Psy, in a Polish parody: Świętokrzyski Style (advance video to 2 minutes if you do not speak Polish)! I was in the audience stupidly jumping in the Psy way, sorry but this beat’s still made me dance (LOL!). The show ended, then I went to the private (after) party for the artists and stars who participated to the show and the organizers. The ambiant was very nice and relaxed. An exclusive nightlife for my first time in Poland!

Poland-Kielce-Witches Show-10A-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013Poland-Kielce-Witches Show-8-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013Poland-Kielce-Witches Show-6-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013Poland-Kielce-Witches Show-4-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013Poland-Kielce-Witches Show-1-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2013, tous droits réservés. 

Discover my whole trip in my POLAND page and in the Facebook of  the Polish Tourist Organisation. You can also follow my TWITTER and my XTRA NEW FACEBOOK page! ENJOY! 

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