Building a cultural bridge between Tyva and Japan

Next week Makigami Koichi is going to perform at the Drama Theater in Kyzyl
of the Tyva Republic with the two other musicians from Japan, Isono Yoko (shamisen) and Shika Udai (cello).

Recently The Tyva-Japan Friendship Association "Kargyraa" is approved as an official organization from the Tyvan government. And there will be held a ceremony for celebrating the approval on March 16, then a commemorating concert on March 18. Makigami and his company are invited to the event.




The relationship between Makigami and the country is a long and deep one.

In 1994, he witnessed the performance of a Tyvan ensemble of throat singing for the first time. Profoundly impressed, he asked them for teaching the singing on the scene. Being fascinated the musical tradition of the country, he formed the Japan Tyva Khoomei Association in 1996 and started to produce the recording and concert tour of the Tyvan artists in Japan. Meantime, he has been visiting the country every year since mid nineties.

Now being one of the most famous Japanese in the country, Makigami is not only a musician but sort of an independent cultural ambassador for Japan. Simply put, it is a matter of course to say he is right person for the position. Besides his qualification as an artist, what he has been trying to do is to build a cultural bridge between both the countries.

And this time, he will fulfill the role once again - celebrating the musical culture of Tyva.


There is an article about the music of Tyva in wikipedia. See here.