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Hiroshima is Boston Strong

traildustfotm — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:35:13 +0000

Jazz band Hiroshima plays tribute to Boston bombing victims

We spent a wonderful evening this week at the legendary Scullers Jazz Club, in Boston, enjoying the music of June and Dan Kuramoto and their band, Hiroshima. Scullers is located right in last week’s lock-down zone. Dan and June played some special music to express their “Boston Strong” solidarity with the audience.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes^[1] is a non-fiction children’s book written by American author Eleanor Coerr and published in 1977.

This true story is of a girl, Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing by the United States. She developed leukemiafrom the radiation and spent her time in a nursing home creating origami (folded paper) cranes in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend that one who created a thousand origami cranes would be cured by the gods. Her wish was simply to live. However, she managed to fold only 644 cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died on 25 October 1955 in the morning. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako. They also built a statue of Sadako holding a giant golden origami crane in Hiroshima Peace Park.

Now every year on Obon Day, which is a holiday in Japan to remember the departed spirits of one’s ancestors, thousands of people leave paper cranes near the statue. On the statue is a plaque: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth.”

The book has been translated to many languages and published in many places, to be used for peace education programs in primary schools. Sadako’s story was also dramatized at the opening ceremony of the Goodwill Games 1990 in Seattle wherein Seattle schoolchildren, working from the 644 cranes sent by Japanese schoolchildren, completed the unfinished 356 cranes for Sadako, and sent them aloft into the skies in honor of Sadako and world peace.

Lia Chang: Two-Time Grammy Nominated Hiroshima Performs at Yoshi’s Oakland, August 17-19, 2012

Lia Chang — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:48:33 +0000

HIROSHIMA (Jaimee Itagaki)

Two-time Grammy nominated American jazz fusion band Hiroshima returns to Yoshi’s Oakland, Friday, August 17-Sunday, August 19, 2012, with new music from their latest CD Departure. It is the follow-up to their 2010 Grammy-nominated Legacy CD. Departure is available on the Hiroshima website, iTunes, Amazon.com, facebook and CDbaby.

Yoshi’s Oakland is located at 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square in Oakland. Performances are Friday, August 17th at 8pm & 10pm, Saturday, August 18 at 8pm & 10pm, Sunday, August 19 at 6pm & 8pm. All sets are $28. Click here for tickets.

Dan Kuramoto co-founder and leader of the band stated, “After more than 30 years in the recording industry — and almost 4 million records sold we’ve decided to leave record companies behind and venture on our own. “It is a new beginning for us in many ways. Departure is a journey of nine songs — all originals with just one guest artist, the incredible harmonica player Tetsuya “Tex” Nakamura. The opening track “Have You Ever Wondered,” is a luscious, textured piece featuring Nakamura and June’s shimmering koto.

“Koto Cruise,” is the second song and features a funky groove and a burning koto solo, “Blues for Sendai,” a soulful jazz blues piece, is dedicated to the spirit of the Japanese people who are rebuilding after the tragedies of March, 2011. The rockin’ blues in “Smiling Jack,” recalls the music of the 80’s and features the roaring B3 organ playing of Kimo Cornwell The sensual soul of “See You Again,” is a tribute to our friend and mentor James Moody. If you listen closely you’ll hear “Moody’s Mood for Love.”

After many years of requests, we offer our first live taiko recording, “Yamasong Duet” – - capturing the voice and the thunder of Shoji’s taiko and Danny’s fierce percussion interplay. The power and spirit of “First Nation,” a composition by the Hawaiian Kimo Cornwell, is a song embracing many native cultures – - and some serious jazz.

Departure ends with two new visitations to our most popular songs, “Thousand Cranes,” and a soulful version of “One Wish,” done as an acoustic trio.”

Hiroshima at Yoshi’s Oakland
Aug 17-Aug 19, 2012
Friday, August 17 8pm & 10pm
Saturday, August 18 8pm & 10pm
Sunday, August 19 6pm & 8pm
all sets $28 each

Yoshi’s Oakland
510 Embarcadero West
Jack London Square
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510.238.9200

HiroshimaMusic.com

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
H I R O S H I M A in Benefit Concert for Japan on September 21, 2011 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York
Faith Prince and Jason Graae: The Prince & the Showboy in Concert at 54 Below, August 21-25, 2012
Mino Cinelu Solo & Friends in “First Night Live Concerts” at Arlene’s Grocery in New York on August 19, 2012
Catch Grammy-winning Drummer Will Calhoun in August at The Iridium, Jazzmobile Summerfest 2012, The Blue Note, Hudson Valley Jazz Festival, and Wimbash
Multimedia: Living Colour NYC Highline Ballroom Concert Photos
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin de Jesus and John Tartaglia set for MUNY’s Aladdin, July 5-13
Catch Grammy-winning Drummer Will Calhoun in August at The Iridium, Jazzmobile Summerfest 2012, The Blue Note, Hudson Valley Jazz Festival, and WimBash
Multimedia: Screen Actors Guild Foundation’s Conversations with Derek Ting, Linus Roache and Michael Park of $upercapitalist
Lily Mariye’s Model Minority, Jayshree Janu Kharpade’s Fire in Our Hearts, Eliaichi Kimaro’s A Lot Like You, Vincent Sandoval’s Señorita, and Liang Cheng’s My Spiritual Medicine among AAIFF’12 Award Winners
West Coast Premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at Berkeley Rep stars Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, August 24-October 7, 2012
Tony Award – winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be Honored at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2012-2013 Season: Richard Thomas and Boyd Gaines to star in An Enemy of the People at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
George Takei, Lea Salonga, Telly Leung and Paolo Montalban star in the World Premiere of Allegiance – A New American Musical at The Old Globe, September 7 – October 21, 2012
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
Photos: In Rehearsal with BD Wong at Dixon Place for Live Concert Recording of Herringbone
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space
Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (3pm) with Andre Bishop, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Philip Kan Gotanda, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, and more
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (8pm) with Oskar Eustis, Patti LuPone, Lisa Emery, Ann Harada, Paolo Montalban, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Henry Stram, Richard Thomas, John Weidman and more
Photos: In Rehearsal with Director Bartlett Sher and the cast of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Hiroshima Holiday Show at Anthology ...Friday, Dec 23 7:30p & 9:30p

Michael Lum — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:01:32 +0000

ANTHOLOGY

presents the

Hiroshima Holiday Show

Friday, December 23, 2011

7:30 & 9:30pm

TICKETS: $10-$59

Buy Tickets

HIROSHIMA

is one of the best known instrumental ensembles in the world,

pioneering a unique East meets West approach since the late 1970′s.

The group seamlessly blends Asian and North American culture

to reflect both cultural and spiritual connections.

It has been over 30 years since the band’s unique combination of

distinctively Japanese elements-

featuring June Kuramoto’s classical flavored koto and Johnny Mori’s booming taiko drum-

coupled with the funky pop, urban and jazz sensibilities

of saxophonist and East L.A. native Dan Kuramoto,

first formed the ensemble and 25 years since they

first hit the instrumental music charts…

Throughout the years,

Hiroshima

has performed for crowds of hundreds of thousands of people,

and sold over 3 million copies of their albums.

While the band was originally founded as a jazz ensemble,

they have steadily moved towards new age music and

still continue to gain traction among audiences world-wide.

The latest album is

Legacy,

a celebration of their 30th year in the recording industry.

It is the first installment of what is expected to be a series.

This initial album in the series is primarily a re-visitation of songs from the band’s first decade.

Essentially recorded live at studio Tofuville,

it features the six band members along with guest artists.

Lia Chang: H I R O S H I M A in Benefit Concert for Japan on September 21 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York

Lia Chang — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:57:56 +0000

Dan Kuramoto and June Kuramoto Photo by Lia Chang

Dan Kuramoto, co-founder of the two-time Grammy nominated jazz fusion band HIROSHIMA, was in the middle of laying down tracks for their next CD, when I chatted on the phone with him recently. He asked me to hold a moment while he put down his saxophone, then shared that HIROSHIMA is performing a Benefit Concert for Japan at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York on September 21, 2011. Click here for photos from their soundcheck.

I am psyched as the unique concert will feature songs that have been the hallmark of HIROSHIMA’s 30 year career. Special guest stars on the bill include Machan on vocals, Kaoru Watanabe on Fue/percussion, David Henry Hwang on Electric violin and a surprise guest artist.

David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

Nominated for a 2010 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album, HIROSHIMA are the only Asian American Band to receive a coveted Grammy nomination and LEGACY marks their second.

Hiroshima embraces cultural diversity with innovative music that blends Jazz, Pop, R&B, and World music with Eastern and Western instruments. The group crossed over into Smooth Jazz stardom with the smash hit “One Wish” from the best-seller Gold album “Another Place.” Hiroshima’s “Go” topped Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart and won a Soul Train Award for “Best Jazz Album.”

HIROSHIMA performs in a special benefit concert for Japan at BB King Blues Club & Grill in New York on September 21, 2011.

Profits from this concert will go to the Japan Relief Fund to help recovery from the Tsunami and Earthquake disaster.
Artists subject to change.

September 21, 2011 8pm
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, New York
237 West 42nd St, Times Square, New York City

Online @ www.ticketmaster.com
By phone Ticket master 1-800-734-3000
Visit our website at: http://www.hiroshimamusic.com
http://www.listn.to/hiroshima
http://www.listn.to/junekuramoto

Taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe Photo by Lia Chang

Other Articles by Lia Chang
Portraits of New York Chinatown After 9/11 Featured in “Post 9/11”: Commemorative Display at Library of Congress Asian Reading Room, 8/30-9/15
Goodman Theatre World Premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Broadway Bound “Chinglish” Scores 5 Jeff Award Nods
Mu Performing Arts 2011-2012 20th Anniversary Season: Four Destinies, Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, Into the Woods, & Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert
Dr. Bobby Fong, BD Wong & Tammy Duckworth to Receive Awards at National OCA Convention in NY on 8/6
Photos: On the town with Rick Shiomi, Co-Editor of “Asian American Plays for a New Generation”, in D.C. & NY
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
Rick Shiomi Checks out Performing Arts Playwrights Series in the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection of Library of Congress; Attends “Asian American Plays for a New Generation” Book Signing in NY on 7/29
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Lia Chang Theater Portfolio at Library of Congress Features Photos of Thom Sesma’s Makeup Transformation as Scar in Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas, Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East Starring BD Wong, David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, and Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s Bakwas Bumbug! on View Through August 2
David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish is Broadway Bound this Fall; Goodman Theatre Photo Feature
broadwayworld.com: Chinglish in Rehearsal
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography
Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.