On December 8, the concert with Kurayoshi Agricultural High School Taiko Club was held at Yonago Convention Center in Tottori, Japan. This project had been preparing for almost a year offered by Tottori Prefectural Office. I asked a young Latin pianist SiNGO who is a pioneer of Cuban music in Japan to collaborate with me in this project. His knowledge about Cuban traditional rhythms is distinguished.

After the summer, we created two songs and started to practice with the students. The songs were actually the ones like no high school students in Japan had never challenged before. Yeah, very tough!

First, SiNGO’s song was based on one of the Cuban Rhythms called “Rumbanche”. The beginning, the students had a hard time to play the upbeats instead of downbeats. You know, the traditional Japanese Taiko songs are almost based on downbeats. But as the rehearsals went by, they were getting used to play the upbeats easily.

About my song, I decided to use “Blues Code” and make a kind of “Work song”. Why I wanted to use it? The long story make short, I feel like to show my respect to my parents, family and ancients in here Kurayoshi who had inherited for the lands as farmers family. I was born here and came back here again after my long life journey in NY. Though I used to dislike to live in this rural area, now I became to appreciate that I could live in the house that they left for me and my brothers . And also I feel like the deep connection with Taiko club in Kurayoshi Agricultural High School because my father and uncles graduated from this high school. Oh yes, they were also farmers.

Anyway, the concert was very successful. It was the best performance I’ve ever heard. I was so proud of themselves that must be the great memories for their high school life in the future.

SiNGO, Thank you for your cooperation and great talent. Ms.Hotta, who offered me the project, I appreciate that you gave me the great chance.