SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, July 19th
6:30 – 8:00 PM  (doors open at 6:00 PM)
Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center | Directions
Tickets: $20 non-members, $15 JASGP members

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Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, in partnership with MuSE  (Multicultural Sonic Evolution) invites you to celebrate the vibrant culture of Okinawa with us on July 19th with dance and music performed by Sonny Ochiai, Hideko Ochiai, and Naomi Mizoguchi. These performers, originally from Japan and now living on the East coast, will explore traditional music as well as popular modern music by Okinawan artists. Experience the unique culture from these remote Japanese islands through singing, dancing, sanshin, flute, and more in this multi faceted performance.

Sonny Ochiai entered the institute of Nomura School in 2004, instructor Kinya Miyagi and began studying Okinawan music. The Okinawa Times newspaper company awarded him the ‘Merit of Excellence’ in 2008 and proceeded to grant him the ‘Apex Award’ in 2010. He was licensed as a certified master by the Society for the Preservation of Ryukyuan Classical Music in 2019. As an Okinawa Goodwill Ambassador certified by the Okinawan Governor since 2004, he continues to promote Okinawa and its culture through various festivals and ethnic events in the New York area.

Naomi Mizoguchi fell in love with Okinawan music when she first went to the Ryukyu Festival in the 1990s. After two decades, she finally started learning the sanshin from Sonny Ochiai as well as the fansoo (Okinawan transverse flute) from Earl Ikeda. A filmmaker, she has directed and edited more than 300 video programs for commercial companies as well as community organizations. Her first documentary feature film is about the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan. She won an Emmy Award as an editor in 2022.

Hideko Ochiai is a member of Okinawa American Association of NY where she learned Okinawan dances through members. She joined Sachiyo Ito and Company in 2007 and is also learned from Master Akemi Nakama of Majikina Honryu in Okinawa. In 2015, she joined Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho and is taking lessons from Master Earl Ikeda in New York.

Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) was co-founded in 2007 and was incorporated as not-for-profit organization in 2009. It is co-directed by composer Yui Kitamura and percussionist Chihiro Shibayama with a simple objective: To better the world with the power of music. Through its annual programming, MuSE collaborates with artists from various disciplines and backgrounds in hopes of sharing classical and popular forms of music with the public.  https://www.musefriends.org/