Japan tour pt 7: Fukuoka

After all those concerts with Tenzin and Taro, I took the chance to go somewhere else in Japan before returning to Australia, and headed west to Fukuoka with my partner Yuki Taniguchi, who was doing nada yoga workshops all weekend. We stayed with Amigo Sato, who I met when I first went to Fukuoka with sitar player Hide Iwai in 2007. Like in 2007, Amigo's family hosted a home concert for us on our first night (photos below). Yuki opened with some meditative Sanskrit mantras then I joined on tabla for some kirtan (group devotional singing). We closed with a short tabla solo, Yuki playing lehera on a melodica the family had in the house! (We managed to find a harmonium for the main concert a few days later.)

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Snow Lion Japan tour pt6: Saitama

My last concert of the tour with Tenzin and Taro was a charity show held in an art gallery in a quiet village in the hills of Saitama, raising funds for a new Tibetan university in India. Tenzin had to leave before the night was through so that he could catch up with HH the Dalai Lama in Nara the next day, but the rest of us got up to some good country style partying... This was my last concert of the tour because I was to head to Fukuoka with Yuki while Tenzin and Taro still had a couple more shows in Tokyo.

The event was also the closing party for an exhibition by local potter, who opened proceedings with an all-inclusive "kanpai!"

Tenzin's cousin Dolma Tsering is a leader in the Free Tibet movement in Japan.

After the official proceedings we sat around the fireplace, chatted and jammed...

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Snow Lion Japan tour pt5: Niigata

We had another beautiful temple concert on our Snow Lion tour, thanks to Rie of Niigata, who was originally not going to organise the concert until she heard Tenzin and Taro's new CD. As well as having a great concert captured on video (hence no photos, but check out Tso Marpo video below), we also took a couple of walks on the nearby mountain along mossy and ferny pathways. Coming from dry old Australia, the moist forests of Japan are particularly attractive.

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Snow Lion Japan tour pt 4: Tokyo again

Having been to Gifu and Kansai and back, Tenzin, Taro and I now had a few shows in and around Tokyo. First up, Cafe Slow in Kokubunji, sold out just as it was last year, purely acoustic and candle-lit. On the night of our next concert in Cafe Olimpico, Azabu, a small typhoon hit Tokyo and kept our audience at home. Three folks came along for a very intimate concert, followed by dinner and wine courtesy of the very hospitable bar owner.

On Tues 2 Nov, we returned to Joenji temple in Shinjuku, where Tibet House Japan hosted us once again for another very successful concert.

On the Friday, we had another return concert, where we followed up last year's Magokoro ("Hemp Heart") concert with another full house and some really beautiful music.

After this concert we set off at midnight for Niigata, arriving at 330am at a 24 hour onsen and dormitory! Next stop, Niigata...

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Snow Lion Japan tour pt3: Kyoto/Osaka

On the drive to Kyoto, Tenzin came up with a beautiful melody for a new song, "Snow Lion" - look out for that on the next Tibet2Timbuk2 album.

Our tour sponsors Perfect Potion organised a beautiful concert for us at Taizo-in temple in west Kyoto. The monks served frothy macha tea to all the guests in a tea room next to a really wonderful garden, and then Tenzin, Taro and I played some really beautiful music in the temple's main room. It's been my dream for many years to have Tenzin performing in a Kyoto temple, so many thanks to Perfect Potion for making that possible.

We had a few days free in Kyoto including a walk over Mt Kurama and hot spring bath in Kurama Onsen in the north of Kyoto.

After these restful few days we had a concert in Chakra, Osaka. Chakra is a big centre for the Tibetan independence movement in Japan. Yuki opened our concert with some Sanskrit mantras.

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Snow Lion Japan tour pt2: Sangeet Mela

Off to the annual Sangeet Mela, the 13th time this event has been held in Horado village, Gifu. Please search for Sangeet Mela on my blog for reports on previous very impressive events. Once again the lineup was packed dusk til dawn with accomplished Indian classical artists from Japan and around the world including Steve Oda (sarod - Canada/USA). This year there were a few non-classical items - Baul singing by Satyananda Das, Tibetan music by Tenzin and friends, and some fusion with santoor, hang drum, tabla and Odissi dance late in the night. Many thanks to Jimi-san for inviting us to perform there and for continuing to organise this conference every year. I'm sorry I didn't manage to get photos of all the acts this year. I was having a bit more relaxed time, including taking a one hour Thai massage between my two performances.

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Snow Lion Japan tour part 1 - Tokyo, Fuji

From Oct 19 to Nov 16 this year, Tenzin Choegyal and I toured Japan with our good friend, brilliant bansuri player Taro Terahara. Our first concert was in famous Tokyo world music venue, Otoya-Kintoki in Nishi-Ogikubo. We were joined by guest vocalist Nanaco, who sings on Tenzin and Taro's new album "Tibet: Awakened Heart".

On the way to the concert...

The next day we headed off to Gifu for the Sangeet Mela. On the way we had our first ever view of Mt Fuji!

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Tibet2Timbuk2 Qld Multicultural Festival + Queen St Mall

On the weekend of Oct 16/17 Tibet2Timbuk2 had a couple of shows; firstly in Queen St Mall on Saturday afternoon then at Queensland Multicultural Festival (QMF) on Sunday. We were joined on both occasions by regular guest artist Peter Hunt from the most excellent jazz reggae band, Kooii.

I was quite busy at QMF, where I also accompanied sitar player Saikat Bhattacharya in the morning, then had two sets with Turkish musician Feridun Avar and storyteller Tom Lipscomb performing Nasruddin stories. No photos of the set with Feridun unfortunately... The first set had tuning disasters and was hard work, but the second set was really great. Hopefully we'll be doing this show again.