New Year Messages for 2025

 

Hikashu just posted a video of new year messages from the members. Here's what they said.

Makigami Koichi
Happy new year. This year we would like to release a new album. And there is a plan of the 3rd collection of my poetry. Moreover I intend to do a solo album for the first time in a while. So stay tuned. Thank you.

Shimizu Kazuto
Hello. Last year a lot has happened and quite fruitful for the band. I'm glad about it. Hopefully the things will be like this for new year. Just keep going. Thanks for your support.

Sakaide Masami
Happy new year. Last year was kinda unfortunate because I had some problems. COVID, pneumonia, and neuralgia. So this year my motto is health first. Thank you.

Sato Masaharu
It's quite cold these days, isn't it? Happy New Year. Beside Hikashu, I plan to do various projects with people like Harada Daijiro, Carmen Maki, and Sakaide Masami. Also Hikashu continue to do monthly concert series this year so come and see us. Thank you.

Koketsu Masayo
Happy new year for 2025. This year is snake [zodiac]. So come and see the band. Also I will release a solo album this year so look forward to it. Thank you.
(alto saxophonist who joined the band this year as semi-regular member)

Mita Freeman
Happy new year. This year I'll turn 70. These days I feel free and it's ok whatever to do. The year of freedom! Happy new year. Yeah.

So, as Makigami announced, there's a plan of new albums of Hikashu and his own released this year. Can't wait! and Happy new year.

Greetings 2025

 

Happy New Year.

Hikashu celebrate their 46th anniversary. The band is in great shape and going strong as ever. 

Their monthly concert series at Star Pine's Cafe of Kichijoji, Tokyo is now 7th year. The first appearance of the band this year will be on January 25th. It is the first of the monthly concert this year and birthday of Makigami Koichi.

Closing 2024

This month Hikashu have completed the monthly concert series at Star Pine's Cafe at Kichijoji, Tokyo. Now it is the 6th year.

Other than that, the band did various performances with other bands. For example, they did concerts with notable acts from younger generation like Polysics, Urban Garde, and Otoboke Beaver.

And, as reported here before, Makigami Koichi received a grant from FCA, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, a nonprofit based foundation in New York City.

Koichi Makigami - 2024 Grants to Artists - FCA website

Makigami himself did attend the ceremony held in NYC. He said as follows:

When I attended the award ceremony in 2024, coincidentally a total solar eclipse was visible from New York City. Seeing it with eclipse glasses, I felt like the sun blessed me.

2024 has been a fruitful year for Hikashu. Hopefully the new year will be great and prosperous as well.

Makigami Koichi UK and France Tour May 2024

In May, Makigami Koichi will perform in the UK and France. The schedule is as follows: 

        May 4, 5     Glasgow, UK

        May 6         London, UK

        May 10       Bristol, UK 

        May 13       Lille, France 

        May 14       Paris, France 

May 4 

Tectonics, Glasgow 

Master class for Voice box 

May 5 

Tectonics, Glasgow 

Duo with Roger Turner

https://www.tectonicsfestival.com/schedule/koichi-makigami-roger-turner 

May 6 

cafeOTO, London

double bill with Eugene Chadbourne

https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/eugene-chadbourne-koichi-makigama/ 

May 10 

L'étoile Studio, Bristol 

Koichi Makigami / Phil Minton / Matt Davis / Kay Grant / Matthew Grigg & 5tet

https://hdfst.uk/e104448 

L'étoile Studio - 22 West St

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5iV2VkYxFaLBYjFN6 

May 13

La Malterie, Lille, France 

with KAZE - Tamura Natsuki (tp), Fujii Satoko (p), Christian Pruvost (tp), Peter Orins (ds)

http://www.lamalterie.com/ 

May 14 

Les Instants Chavirés, Paris, France

"Solo Chakurupa"

double bill with HAŁVVA (Kamil Piotrowicz & Jacek Prościński) & Timothée Quost Kamil Piotrowicz – claviers Jacek Prościński – batterie Timothée Quost – trompette et instruments électroniques 

tickets available online:

https://yurplan.com/events/Koichi-Makigami-Timothee-Quost-HALVVA/120168 

Les Instants Chavirés

https://www.instantschavires.com 

In particular, the Paris concert is notable because it is the premiere performance in the city for Makigami. To Europian fans - Do not miss this precious opportunity to see the exceptional performer in person.

Hikashu - Golden Best (2024)

Hikashu - Golden Best

1. Shiroi Highway [White Highway]

2. 20 Seiki No Owari Ni [At the End of the 20th Century]

3. Doro Doro

4. Rhetrics and Logics

5. Love Treatment

6. Dance on Glass

7. Pike

8. Alternative Sun

9. Oasis No Yume [The Dream of Oasis]

10. Uwasa No Jinrui [The Human Beings]

11. Dekigoto [Happenings]

12. Outcast

13. Tencho Na Omotenashi

14. Chimera

15. Biro Biro

16. Puyo Puyo

Universal Music Japan UPCY-7952

Released on March 10, 2024

Golden Best is a series of various artists compilation albums released in Japan by Universal Music which began in 2023.

Selected mainly from the early material, so-called Eastworld label era. But it does include later recordings.

It is important to note that this is released with the band's approval, unlike "Twin Best" which was legitimate but released without the band's consent.

Available now through various retailers including Hikashu Official Store.

Makigami Koichi - FCA Grant Recipient 2024

Makigami Koichi became a recipient of the Grants to Artists Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA). On February 15, FCA announced the recipients and Makigami is one of them.

Koichi Makigami | FCA Grant Recipient - Foundation for Contemporary Arts

From the foundation's website:

FCA awards Grants to Artists in the following fields: dance, music/sound, performance art/theater, poetry, and the visual arts. Artists are suggested and selected by their peers in a two-stage process. Each year, FCA invites dozens of distinguished artists and arts professionals to serve as nominators and propose one exceptional individual, collective, or performing group whom they feel deserves and will benefit from an unrestricted $45,000 award. Nominators are selected by field, but are free to propose artists working in any of the five areas supported. They are asked to remain anonymous. A selection panel chooses grant recipients on the basis of the merit and imaginativeness of their work and the effect such recognition and support might have at this point in their careers.

Grants to Artists are administered by a confidential nomination and selection process. Applications and unsolicited nominations are not accepted.

Grants to Artists - Foundation for Contemporary Arts

 

The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) is a nonprofit based foundation in New York City that offers financial support and recognition to contemporary performing and visual artists through awards for artistic innovation and potential. It was established in 1963 as the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts by artists Jasper Johns, John Cage, and others.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts - wikipedia

So Makigami earned supports from the fellow artists and that's very encouraging.

Congratulations!

Jazz Art Sengawa 2024

The 16th Jazz Art Sengawa will be held on January 11-14, 2024 at Sengawa Theatre, Chofu, Tokyo. It is an artist-driven music festival and its producers are Makigami Koichi, Sakamoto Hiromichi, and Fujiwara Kiyoto.

The schedule:

January 11 thursday
14:00-14:54 screening the film "Zorn" (2016)
15:20-16:19 screening the film "Zorn II" (2018)
19:30-21:00 John Zorn's Cobra Sengawa Operation Anniversary Unit
Yamamoto Tatsuhisa (drums), Yoshida Ryuichi (baritone sax), Sakaguchi Mitsuo (keyboard), Matsumura Takumi (flute), Yoshida Nonoko (sax), Goto Atsushi (trombone), Itani Takashi (drums), Takaoka Daisuke (tuba), Yoshino (biwa), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello), Fujiwara Kiyoto (bass), Makigami Koichi (promptor)

January 12 friday
13:00-14:18 screening the film "Zorn III" (2022)
14:40-15:34 screening the film "Zorn" (2016)
17:00-18:10 "Crossroad of Sound, Part 1"
Hatano Atsuko (voila+electronics), Takeshita Yuma (Mechanized instruments), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello, etc)
19:30-20:40 "Tracing a path to Kavakov's Dream continued"
Hikashu with Koketsu Masayo (sax)

January 13 saturday
13:30-14:40 "Crossroad of Sound, Part 2"
Ueno Yoko (voice, electronics, etc), Kikuchi Masaaki (bass, electronics), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello, etc)
16:00-17:10 "Space and Eyes of Echoes"
Ito Chieko (dance), Fujiwara Kiyoto (bass)
18:30-19:40 "Strings vibrating furiously"
Gordon Grdina (guitar, oud) with Dojo [Yagi Michiyo - electric kotos, electronics + Honda Tamaya on drums], Makigami Koichi (voice)
20:00-20:59 screening the film "Zorn II" (2018)

January 14 sunday
11:00-12:18 screening the film "Zorn III" (2022)
13:30-14:40 "Unexpected electric from the North"
Cubic Zero [Yoshida Nonoko sax, Motoyama Tomoaki keyboard, Sasaki Nobuhiko guitar, Okubo Taro bass, Shibuya Toru drums]
15:30-16:40 "Crossroad of Sound, Part 3"
Hondo Misaki (baritone sax, etc), Suzueri (handmade instruments), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello, etc)
18:00-19:10 "Tresures of Sengawa"
Jazz Art Trio [Makigami Koichi voice etc, Sakamoto Hiromichi cello etc, Fujiwara Kiyoto bass]

Admission:
2,000 yen for each film screening
3,500 yen for performances (for each stage) except
5,500 yen for John Zorn's Cobra
8,500 yen for 3 stages ticket (John Zorn's Cobra counted 2 stages - films are not included.)
8,500 yen for 1day ticket
22,000 yen for all days ticket
Tickets are available through PassMarket

X (Twitter) @jazzartsengawa
Facebook @newjazzartsengawa
instagram @jazzartsengawa
youtube @Jazz Art Sengawa Official

Sengawa Theatre, Chofu, Tokyo

JAZZ ART せんがわ、チケット発売中！
John Zorn特集企画ほか、バラエティに富んだプログラムをご用意しています！
→https://t.co/jtF53MXMDM pic.twitter.com/Y4dRB2cRZA

— JAZZ ART 実行委員会 (@jazzartsengawa) December 24, 2023