Music to the soul

In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Sri Lanka, the Embassy of Japan together with the Japan Foundation will present a series of Randooga workshops and concerts in Colombo and Jaffna bringing together Japanese and Sri Lankan musicians to celebrate 60 years of friendship between the two countries.

Kei Wada

M Satoh

Pradeep Ratnayake

Uesugi

This is the music part of the Japan Foundation’s “Culture for Harmony and Peace” Project in Sri Lanka, planned and led by Professor Yoshiko Ashiwa of the Center for Peace and Reconciliation, Hitotsubashi University, Japan. The Randooga Workshop features Japanese master of jazz piano, and founder of the Randooga Method, Masahiko Satoh, and renowned Sri Lankan Sitarist Pradeep Ratnayake in a unique joint musical performance that is also spontaneous and improvised. Kei Wada (percussionist), Akiko Uesugi (singer), Isaac Smith (bassist), Peshala Manoj (tabla) and others will join the duo in Colombo and Jaffna.

The Randooga workshops will introduce the method created by Masahiko Satoh to use improvisation as the way of nonverbal communication to enhance dialogue and understanding with oneself and between people. Randooga can be enjoyed by both individuals and groups of people, from those who have never touched a musical instrument to outstanding musicians. It is based on one of jazz’s most important aspects - improvisation. Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, or playing musical instruments immersed in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one’s immediate environment and inner feelings.

This can result in the invention of new thought patterns not only in one but many different directions and dimensions.

The Colombo workshop will be held at the Punchi Theater, Borella, on November 26 at 2 pm.

The Jaffna workshops will be held on November 28 and 29 in collaboration with Professor Shanmugalingam and Dr. K. Sidambaranadan and it will culminate in a concert at Jaffna Heritage Hotel on November 29 at 4 pm, which will feature the workshop participants as well as the well-known musicians.

The concert in Colombo will be held on the 2nd of December 2012, at the Lionel Wendt Theater at 7 p.m. and will feature another aspect of Randooga, where highly trained musicians communicate with each other through sound. Featuring pianist Masahiko Satoh and sitarist Pradeep Ratnayake and accompanied by Kei Wada, Akiko Uesugi, Peshala Manoj and others, this concert is free to music lovers who can collect their free passes from the Lionel Wendt from the 24th of November 2012.

The Embassy of Japan considers these workshops and concerts in Colombo and Jaffna as part of Japan’s support towards the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka to promote national reconciliation and harmony and also a true expression of the warm friendly relations between Japan and Sri Lanka.