Showcase of culture and music
TWO JAPANESE artists showcased their “distinguished technique and a strong sense of melody and performance skills” during their South African tour.
CoRai, the Japanese music duo’s name comes from two Japanese characters; “Co” meaning past and “Rai” meaning future.
CoRai is made up of Kentaro Kihara, a jazz pianist possessing a distinguished technique and a strong sense of melody while Hiroshi Yamaguchi, a tsugaru-shamisen (Japanese traditional three-string instrument) player with splendid performance skills hailing from a family with a long history of shamisen players.
It was Yamaguchi’s ambition to spread the sound of shamisen into other genres of music that led him to accept the invitation from the embassy of Japan to perform three concerts in South Africa from August 7 to 11.
Their South African tour began at the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria on Wednesday August 8.
Coincidently, this day was exactly 100 years since the establishment of the Japanese consulate in Cape Town which was the first Japanese mission on the African continent and is now a symbol of the long history of bilateral ties between Japan and South Africa.
The musical duo came together to create a unique sound with a sense of tension and harmony.
They played not only their original songs such as Bridge, which was inspired by their visit to South Africa, but also covered local traditional songs, such as the lullaby Thula Thula and the national anthem.
The audience of over 200 gave a standing ovation to CoRai’s breathtaking sound while celebrating this memorable day.
On Women’s Day, CoRai visited Home Lounge in Pretoria.
Home Lounge is run by Kgomotso Sekhu, who wishes for the growth of his community and conducts music workshops for young students who love music and who wish to express their ideas, hopes and dreams.
Home Lounge invited CoRai to perform. Sekhu started Home Lounge in a deserted house, with limited space and equipment. The venue did, however, match CoRai’s purpose of creating a “cultural exchange through music” and sharing sounds between South Africa’s local artists and CoRai to evoke future collaborations.