Feb 19, 2024

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.


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.

 

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.


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

Congratulations!

Jan 3, 2024

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



Jan 2, 2024

New year's message from Hikashu


Hikashu just posted a new year's message on YouTube as follows:


Makigami:
"Happy New Year. This is Makigami Koichi. This 45th anniversary year we have a new album called "Kumo wo Ayatsuru", the 2nd collection of lyrics, and the events commemorating the year. We would like to continue that this year and plan to release a 45rpm vinyl. It's interesting, isn't it? For the first time in some years, I had an opportunity to visit New York City late last year. It was very good and fortunate. And there is also a plan touring Europe in May so please look forward to it. Also, soon we have the 16th Jazz Art Sengawa (January 2024) and hope see you there. Thank you."

Mita:
"Happy New Year. There are lots of events coming this year, Paris Olympics for example. I have a lot of things which could be turned into songs. So what will we gonna do? From now on we'll decide that. Right now nothing has been decided, but anyway happy new year. Stay tuned. Thanks for watching (and walked out) "

Sakaide:
"Happy New Year. Last year many troubles were out there unfortunately. Personally I had some little good things here and there, and I feel it should be embraced. In 2024, I would like to make some diligent efforts. First ... (comtemplating) ... making compositions. This year I would like to compose many songs. Making a little happiness, one by one. Thank you."

Shimizu:
"Last year we went to various places for tour and it was fulfilling. But many difficult things are happening right now, and for me it's not easy to make a positive message, I'm afraid. I just want to stop things destructing. This year I hope such things never happen any more. E veryone feels the same way, I think. Thank you."

Sato:
"Happy new year. This year it's the 45th anniversary for Hikashu making the first release so we will do something special. And for me there is a new release, my 60th birthday concert DVD. It had a lot of guests, like Carmen Maki, Umezu Kazutoki, and of course Hikashu. Too many to mention here, but Makigami's singing is just incredible. This year, Hikashu and myself will make various activities so stay tuned. Happy new year and thank you."

Currently we have no information about the European tour mentioned above but we will let you know about it here later asap so do not miss it.

Jan 1, 2024

Greetings 2024



Happy New Year.

This year is the *another* 45th anniversary for Hikashu. The band made the first release, the "At the end of the 20th Century" single on Toshiba EMI in 1978. So the anniversary continues.

And the band is active as ever. Monthly Concert at Star Pine's Cafe of Kichijoji, Tokyo is now its 6th year, and certainly various tours will follow.

The band will make the first appearance of 2024 at Jazz Art Sengawa on January 12.


Dec 31, 2023

Farewell 2023



2023 is the 45th anniversary year for Hikashu. The group was formed in 1978.

They had been busy this year indeed. Besides monthly concert in Kichijoji, in summer, new album "Kumo wo Ayatsuru" [Cloud Management] was released and two special concerts were held in Shibuya with many guests plus the original Hikashu reunion. Then the grand finale came.

Hikashu fanclub posted the following tweet with images which are from the december 28 concert.


Surely the coming year will be great one for the band as well.

Sep 9, 2023

Hikashu - Kumo wo Ayatsuru (2023)


















Hikashu - Kumo wo Ayatsuru - Cloud Managament (2023)

1. Tanada ni Harugashumi - Spring have over the rice fields
2. Kumo wo Ayatsuru - Cloud management
3. Dokomade ga sora nanoka - How far is the sky?
4. Inori wa kyou mo yukuefumei - Prayer is still missing today
5. Kocha no simi no zenonpu - Tea stain whole note
6. Jinsei no arch - The arch of life
7. Solomatkin-san wa untenshu - Mr. Solomatkin is a driver
8. Tanada shiki transparent - Rice fields style transparent

lyrics - Makigami Koichi
music - Makigami Koichi (1, 5, 6), Sakaide Masami (3), Mita Freeman (2, 7), Shimizu Kazuto (8), Sato Masaharu (4)

Hikashu:
Makigami Koichi - vocal, theremin, cornet, shakuhachi
Mita Freeman - guitar, hapidrum
Sakaide Masami - bass
Shimizu Kazuto - piano, synthesizer
Sato Masaharu - drums, acoustic guitar

guest:
Koketsu Masayo - alto saxophone
Fubuki Yukie - voice on 6

recorded at 1714 Studio (Atami) & IGO studio (Tokyo) in 2023
recorded live at Echigo-Tsumari Art Field on July 30, 2022
engineered and mixed by Sakaide Masami
live recording by Kondoh Yoshiaki (GOK Sounds)
mastered by Ono Seigen at Saidera Mastering
produced by Makigami Koichi

released on September 9, 2023

available at various stores including the official one

Jun 30, 2023

Hokkaido Tour July 8-12 2023



Hikashu will tour Hokkaido this summer and this covers not only cities like Sapporo and Asahikawa but so-called remote areas.


July 8, 2023
Nishinikarishite Festival
@ Nishiokoppe
Okhotsk (near Abashiri)
11:00 - 24:00
5,000 yen - under 15 2,000 yen (id required)
nishinikarishite2023.com
Tickets available at teket.jp


Nishinikarishite Festival (Outdoor stage)


July 9, 2023
@ Mosquito
Asahikawa
open 18:00 - start 19:00
adv 4,500 yen - at door 5,000 yen
mosquito.html.xdomain.jp/



Mosquito, Asahikawa


July 11, 2023
@ MP Hall
Iwamisawa
guest: Yoshida Nonoko (saxophone)
open 19:00 - start 19:30
adv 4,500 yen - at door 5,000 yen
Facebook


MP Hall, Iwamisawa


July 12, 2023
@ Kotoni Patos
Sapporo
open 18:30 - start 19:00
adv 5,000 yen - at door 5,500 yen
website


Kotoni Patos, Sapporo