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Audiences in Islamabad enjoy music from Japan and Pakistan
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To mark the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan, the Embassy of Japan is organizing various cultural events all across Pakistan throughout the year to further strengthen the relations between the people of two countries.
The Japanese Embassy in collaboration with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts organized a joint music performance of Pakistani and Japanese artists titled ‘NIHON Unplugged: Music from Japan and Pakistan’ at the auditorium of National Art Gallery in Islamabad this week.
The Japanese musicians known as ‘The Trio Zipang’ – where Takanabe is a percussionist, Tabata is a saxophone player, and Kitagawa is a pianist – together with the Pakistani artists greatly entertained the audience and won a great applause.
Welcoming the Japanese artists to Pakistan, Junya Matsuura, Charge d’ Affaires ad Interim of Japan to Pakistan, in his opening remarks said that “The Embassy of Japan in Pakistan has always strived to share Japanese culture with Pakistani people as we believe that sharing one’s culture brings people together.” He said Japan and Pakistan share a friendly bond, which has strengthened over the years.
Matsuura greatly appreciated the visiting Japanese artists for coming all the way from Japan to participate in the celebration of 65th anniversary of the establishment of Japan and Pakistan’s diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of Independence of Pakistan.
Junya Matsuura also thanked the Pakistani artists, especially those who came from Peshawar, for collaborating with the Japanese artists to create beautiful melodies for the audience.
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Profile of Japanese Artists
Takanabe is percussionist of Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra since 1996 and a lecturer at Osaka College of Music and Yuhigaoka High School. Takanabe appears on more than 100 stages a year such as guest appearances in different orchestra, studio recordings and adjudicator of nationwide contests. He is also executive member of Kansai Percussion Association.
Tabata is saxophone player of Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra as well as a lecturer at Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts, Tokushima Bunri University and Kyoto Horikawa Music High School. She did her master’s degree from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. She was semi-finalist at the 51st Geneva International Music Competition, 2nd at Adolphe Sax International Competition, 4th prize winner of the 16th Japan Wind and Percussion Competition and Best Teacher Award winner of the 12th Osaka International Music Competition. She had also released two albums from Meister Music.
Pianist Kitagawa is also a lecturer at Osaka College of Music, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts, Soai University, Soai High School and Ishiyama High School. She had graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and did her Master’s degree from Hochschule fur Musik Freiburg, Germany.
She had performed piano concerts with many orchestras, including Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Geidai Philharmonia Orchestra, Tokyo and the College Operahouse Orchestra, Osaka.