Pentatonic Revolution Osaka Kansai Expo Commemorative MINYO meets Ethiopia! Echoes of Two Worlds in Tokyo
Business Overview
Japanese and Ethiopian musicians have been working to pass on their respective folk songs to the next generation, each in their own country. "Pentatonic Revolution" was launched with the aim of exchanging these diverse approaches and spreading them to the world. From Ethiopia, Melaku Belay's Ethio Color Band was invited, and on the Japanese side, music producer Yutaka Koyama (third generation of the Koyama school of Tsugaru shamisen) and bandmaster Katsumi Tanaka (Min'yo Crusaders) teamed up to form a special folk song unit. Using the pentatonic scale as a common guide, they challenged themselves to create borderless folk songs that traverse Japan and Ethiopia. As a new platform for musical expression by musicians from both countries, they held their inaugural performance at Tokyo Libra Hall. A symposium was held at Polepole Za to take the next step forward.
- Period of Activity / Project
- [Performance] Sunday, September 28, 2025
[Talk Session] Wednesday, October 1, 2025 - Venues
- [Performance] Libra Hall (Minato-ku)
[Talk Session] Polepole Za (Nakano-ku)
Profile
【 General incorporated association Ethiopian Art Club 】
This general incorporated association was established to contribute to "enhancing the presence of Ethiopian art and culture in Japan" and "realizing a prosperous Japan that embraces multicultural coexistence."