A news article appeared regarding Shimokitazawa Bon Odori on Aug.17 in Yomiuri Shimbun Metropolitan edition. This is the summarized English translation. Shimokita Ondo Made Its Debut Last weekends, the 2nd Shimokitzawa Summer Festival was successfully held with an official introduction of Shimokita Ondo song, which was produced by a local band named Umanami Maracas Band. The venue for this Bon Odori dance was made available because of the completion of underground Odakyu line construction last Spring. Previously, no such space was available to organize an event of this size. Over the hot and humid two nights, while many clad in Yukata or Japanese summer kimono, over hundreds of people from in and outside of Shimokitazawa came together and joined the dancing loops and danced the night away along with a newlly introduced Shimokita Ondo. This time of the year, summer heat and Obon season typically reduces shoppers traffic volume and slows down the local business activities. Hence, to counter this, Shimokitazawa Azuma Shoppers Association organized the 1st Shimokitazawa Bon Odori Festival with a great success last year,which eventually led the Assoc. to produce an original Bon Odori song via public particiation in 2014. This resulted in 39 participation from all over Japan. In the end, the Assoc. chose Umanari Maracas Band as a winner. Jyunnosuke Okubo, the band leader, stated Once you visit Shimokitazawa, you will get hooked on the town because of irresistble charms the town offers !!! So we wanted to put in all of the entertinment elements to make this song work. A choreographer for this song is Shigeki Majima who is famous for a blockbuster Matsuken Samba. Majima said that The band express those charms unique to Shimokitzawa very well. Among excited audience, Chika Takahashi,a salaried person,27,flashed with a big smile saying that A choreography is so easy to learn. More I dance, more attached I am to Shimokitazawa !!! https://youtube/watch?v=xEZ-VR70iws
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 07:41:57 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015