show Bogota
About the city:
Before arriving at Bogota, I was afraid if the terrorists could be there, but I didn`t meet any dangerous person and felt that it is a safe city now. According to my friends, ten years ago it was so dangerous and even Colombian people were afraid to live there because a lot of terrorists were around the city. But these days Bogota is really modern city while a few of terrorists are around the borders.
About the inhabitants:
I thought that many Colombian people are mafia for Cocaine and prostitues because we had a lot in Tokyo ten years ago, but actually they are so kind and calm.
About the shows:
Because Bogota is in about 2,500km? hight, it`s difficult for me, Japanese, to sing songs and dance as usual. For just 5 minutes I sang and was suffering from breathing. However I could do the nice shows because my friend gave me the tea of Coca, which is legal in only Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. The audience are so enthusiastic. Maybe my gig is kind of Tequila for them?
About the friends i made:
I have my friend, Sergio Iglesias,
http://www.facebook.com/teenagedancecraze, who was playing the drum at my band of Lo-Fi Neisans when I was in SF from 2000 to 2004. I wanted to go around South America with this band in 2002, but he didn`t agree with me because at the time it was dangerous in Bogota. In 2011 he went back from SF to Colombia and suggested me to give shows there.
That is why I stared this world tour from Bogota Colombia.
Lima, Peru
About the city:
Because my Colombian friend said that I had to take care of my laggages from many thieves in Peru, at first I was so scared any people there. However, I didn`t have any problem because my Peru friend suggested me not to go to some small parts of the city, in which there are thieves, and I avoided these areas.
About the people:
About their faces, I felt that they look like Japanese. That is why I could be relaxed.
In addition, the people are so friendly and calm.
About the show:
I did the gig at the club for high class people, and the owner cut the electicity for a few minutes because he didn`t like the performance in which I was using the swear words directly such as “suck my dick”, “I wanna lick your tits” and so on. After this gig, I started to use the double meaning words like “swallow my banana”, “I wanna grab your melons”.By the way, why did he make me give the show there? Because I just asked him to play music there, and he accepted me without listening to my music!
Cusco, Peru
About the city:
It is the city for tourists as you know Machu Pichu is there. I went there and was so surprised about the cost from the city to there. The total cost was about USD200. I don`t know if you think it
is expensive. It is a little expensive for me.
About the people:
The people are so nice and calm.
About the shows:
I gave the shows at the club which is called “Ukukus Bar”.
http://www.ukukusbar.com
They have music gigs, theater festivals, contemporay dace shows, art exhibitions, and so on. It is so cool place. I just visited there and asked the owner to give shows. I did one show and he liked it.
Then he asked me one more and I did the second show at the following day.
The audience was so quiet, but I understand that they like my shows.
They just were a little surprised because they have never seen this kind of performance? I had the kind of sick because of 3,000km height, but I drank Coca tea and could be better.
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
About the city:
Compare to Bogota Colombia and Lima Cusuco Peru, Santa cruz is very hot and is not high.
About the people:
They look more cheerful and friendly than above cities’ people because of the hot weather?
About the gig:
I gave the show at one club in which a guy had his birthday party. The audience were so enthusiastic and some of them were the person of Bolivian TV. The following date they did the interview to me, but I don’t know if they broadcasted it.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
About the city:
Whenever I entered some countries, at first I got the information from the tourist guide, “LONELY PLANET”. Accordng to this book, almost of Latin American countries have a lot of thieves on the street except to Buenos Aires. After reading this phrase, I felt so relaxed there. When I was carrying my laggages to one hostel, my small bag was stolen! I just put my laggages in front of the doors, carrying them one by one. Suddenly one was disappeared. After that I stopped to buy Lonely Planet and just get the information of the countries from the internet.
About the people:
People look elegant and sophisticated. They like to discuss several matters.
About the show:
The audience like my shows and I had a good time!
About the friends I made:
Muriel Bellini,the drawer of the cartoon, I met on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/dioramas
She loves Ichiba Daisuke, my art teacher, and I got her information through his Facebook. She arranged my gigs at the festivals of the cartoon and they were really special because the audience are the drawers. I could meet a lot of nice artists!
Jorge Crowe, my teacher of electric circuit, I met at his show thetre.
http://www.facebook.com/jorge.crowe
For the first time I met the artist who plays the music using the divices of electric circuit. I asked him the class of electric and knew that he was going to Santiago Chile to do workshop when I was
there. I took his workshop in Santiago Chile and his private class in Buenos Aires. He gave me the hand made seacancer and the divice of electric circuit through human bodies. I`m using them whenever I give shows.
Juan Aldrey, I met when I gave shows there.
http://www.facebook.com/juan.francisco.aldrey
He is the musician of the computer and gave me the idea for the better performance. I had to be in Buenos Aires for 3 weeks because I need the documents from Japan to enter Brasil. While I was there, we practiced how to do the better performance at the gigs. I appreciate it to him so much and he is my stage music performance teacher.
Santiago Chile
About the city:
It looks like Buenos Aires, modern city.
About the people:
They also look Argentina people, elegant, sophisticated.
The difference is that Chilean people talk Spanish much more quickly.
At the first day when I arrived there, I couldn`t understand what they were talking about.
About the gig:
The audience are enthusiastic like Argentina people.
About the friends I made:
Ervo Perez, the member of La Golden Acapulco, I was introduced by Daniel, who also is the member.
http://www.facebook.com/ervo.perez
He arranged my gig and taught me “CIRCUIT BENDING”. I knew it, but didn’t study it because Japanese toys, which I`m playing, have complicated sound originally and I didn`t need bend these sound. I also didn`t want do Circuit Bending because these toys are so expensive and I don`t want to break them. On the other hand, I wanted to do something about the toys of other countries, which have the simple sound. He said, “The simple sound could be changed dramatically by Circuit Bending and you can play them.” I could use more toys at my gigs after studying “CIRCUIT BENDING”.
Daniel, the member of La Golden Acapulco, I met when he gave the show in Buenos Aires.
http://www.facebook.com/lagoldenacapulco
I asked him if he knows the place to play the music in Chile and he suggested me to contact Ervo. At the time I also was looking for the gig places in Brasil and he gave me a lot of contacts there. He said to me, “We are traveling experimental musicians and had to share the information to support each other.” Before I didn`t give my knowledge of the toy music and the contacts of SF to any one because I didn`t care.
However, after getting his word, I`m trying to support other experimental musicians.
The provokative world tour of a Japanese performer 