2015.03.05
Niutu Umachii pre-event at Okinawa City Hall
The 3rd Niutu Umachii concert was originally slated for last October, but was canceled by the antics of Super Typhoon Vongfong, and is now set for next week.
A pre-event, a lobby concert on the first floor of Okinawa City Hall, is set for the lunch hour next Monday. Admission is free for the noon performance, which features nine artists of Okinawan folk and pops.
The ‘Niutu Umachi’ event itself will now take place Saturday and Sunday, March 14th and 15th, with three-hour concerts set to begin at 5 p.m. each day. The event provides an opportunity for audience
members to join musicians on stage to perform popular Okinawan songs together. Participation from the crowd is available to those who can play guitar or shamisen as well as to those who would like to sing and dance. Participants are required to apply in advance (in Japanese only) by calling (098) 932-1949 or emailing info@otoichiba.jp.
Artists slated to perform are Koichi Kamiya (Okinawan folk), Rinken Teruya (a leader of Rinken band), Tomoko Uehara (female vocalist of Rinken band), Shuken Maekawa (Okinawan folk), Tatsuya Shimabukuro (Okinawan folk), Hajime Nakasone (Okinawan folk), Kozue Chinen (Okinawan folk), Akane Murayoshi (Okinawan folk) and HIKARI (Okinawan folk).