...to raise funds in the Japanese earthquake recovery. This is from the Express:
Category: International News
By Wayne Bowman, T&T Express
Japanese music producer, Yoichi Wantanabe who has been recording pan music here for the past several years told the Express several steel orchestras, pannists and arrangers have offered to assist in raising funds for the people of Japan. He is already working on producing a compilation CD that will feature orchestras, pan soloists, single pans and ensembles.
"We have already started a project to raise funds that will be given through the Red Cross. My friends in the pan community are willing to help with this and also in sending a musical message of hope to the people of Japan from Trinidad. I have already heard from Ray Holman, Boogsie (Len Sharpe), Professor (Ken Philmore), Exodus, Scrunters Pan Groove, Phase II and Despers," Wantanabe said.
The internationally acclaimed musician said he was inspired to embark on the project by pannist, Earl Brooks who performs regularly in Japan. Brooks is scheduled to leave for Japan on March 26 for an engagement there and people have been telling him he should cancel the trip. Brooks, however, is still going and told Wantanabe he also wants to do a free concert to assist the Japanese people in their recovery.
Wantanabe said his family including his parents back home in Japan are safe and doing well. He added that this is the worst disaster to hit his homeland since the Second World War and he was saddened over the great loss of lives. He is thankful that his parents and relatives are safe, but is still concerned over the aftershocks and radiation leaks from the damaged nuclear power stations that were still on fire as this article was being written.
"My parents and all my relatives are okay. They live about 300 miles away to the west of Tokyo, which is far, but still not far enough. I have been in touch with them and monitoring what is happening on the land line and also on Skype. But the Skype is not working so well now. I am only concerned over the aftershocks and radiation," Wantanabe said. Wantanabe said the earthquake and what has followed as far as the pan fraternity coming together to assist brought back memories of what led him to make his home here in Trinidad eleven years ago.
"I was in New York during the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001 and for three days all we saw and heard on the radio and television was news of the disaster. There was no music and all we heard was the news and what we saw when we looked outside was the disaster. That could send you crazy, leave you depressed and feeling useless.
"You can't get up and walk away like you can in the movie theatre because it's all around you. On the third day, I tuned in to WLIB, a Caribbean community radio station and heard single pan music. That saved my sanity. I was cured because the music has a way of melting away the bad feelings. It was then I decided to come here and dedicate myself to the pan music," Wantanabe said.
Japanese music producer, Yoichi Wantanabe who has been recording pan music here for the past several years told the Express several steel orchestras, pannists and arrangers have offered to assist in raising funds for the people of Japan. He is already working on producing a compilation CD that will feature orchestras, pan soloists, single pans and ensembles.
"We have already started a project to raise funds that will be given through the Red Cross. My friends in the pan community are willing to help with this and also in sending a musical message of hope to the people of Japan from Trinidad. I have already heard from Ray Holman, Boogsie (Len Sharpe), Professor (Ken Philmore), Exodus, Scrunters Pan Groove, Phase II and Despers," Wantanabe said.
The internationally acclaimed musician said he was inspired to embark on the project by pannist, Earl Brooks who performs regularly in Japan. Brooks is scheduled to leave for Japan on March 26 for an engagement there and people have been telling him he should cancel the trip. Brooks, however, is still going and told Wantanabe he also wants to do a free concert to assist the Japanese people in their recovery.
Wantanabe said his family including his parents back home in Japan are safe and doing well. He added that this is the worst disaster to hit his homeland since the Second World War and he was saddened over the great loss of lives. He is thankful that his parents and relatives are safe, but is still concerned over the aftershocks and radiation leaks from the damaged nuclear power stations that were still on fire as this article was being written.
"My parents and all my relatives are okay. They live about 300 miles away to the west of Tokyo, which is far, but still not far enough. I have been in touch with them and monitoring what is happening on the land line and also on Skype. But the Skype is not working so well now. I am only concerned over the aftershocks and radiation," Wantanabe said. Wantanabe said the earthquake and what has followed as far as the pan fraternity coming together to assist brought back memories of what led him to make his home here in Trinidad eleven years ago.
"I was in New York during the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001 and for three days all we saw and heard on the radio and television was news of the disaster. There was no music and all we heard was the news and what we saw when we looked outside was the disaster. That could send you crazy, leave you depressed and feeling useless.
"You can't get up and walk away like you can in the movie theatre because it's all around you. On the third day, I tuned in to WLIB, a Caribbean community radio station and heard single pan music. That saved my sanity. I was cured because the music has a way of melting away the bad feelings. It was then I decided to come here and dedicate myself to the pan music," Wantanabe said.
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