‘SAKAKI MANGO’ – Direct from Tokyo

Japan’s legendary Afro-Asian world music stars are back!

Thu 31 May 2012, 8pm

Book Cafe, 139 Samora Machel Ave/6th Street, Harare

Harare’s lively arts hub, the Book Cafe, hosts another exciting performance by artists from far-flung corners of the globe on Thursday 31 May - Japan’s explosive high-energy ‘SAKAKI MANGO & THE LIMBA TRAIN SOUND SYSTEM’ – stopping over in Harare before moving on to Maputo and Johannesburg on their southern Africa tour – together with acclaimed Zimbabwean singer-songwriter NETSAYI & BLACK PRESSURE, ‘ The Zimbabwe Electro-folk Supply Authority’!

Multi-instrumentalist SAKAKI MANGO has studied African music widely, including lamellaphones (thumb-pianos), learning limba from Tanzanian Hukwe Ubi Zawose, mbira from Zimbabwean Garikai Tirikoti, and electric likembe (Congolese amplified lamellaphone) from the bands of Kinshasa.

Today Sakaki is regarded as Japan’s greatest living ‘world music’ exponent, and his music is described as ‘a cross-breed of African sounds with Japanese effects and mixes, and lyrics in both Japanese and Swahili’.  Amongst his accolades are:

2006 & 2008 WINNER Best Album (World Music) in Japan

Award-winning composer and multi-film festival celebrity nominee and winner as composer of the music for the world acclaimed film “Chocolat”

Numerous “world” tours, including Asia, USA, Europe, Latin America, Africa 

Sakaki fell in love with Zimbabwe when he collaborated with Chiwoniso Maraire and other African and Asian artists at The Mannenberg in 2011 as ‘Sukiyaki Afrika’, a show which packed the venue and wowed music-lovers.

This Thursday 28 May, Sakaki performs with The Limba Train Sound System, comprising Katsuhiro  Idomoto (drums),  Akira Hasegawa (bass), and Sakaki on mbiras. The shows starts promptly at 8pm with opening by Zimbabwe’s ‘NETSAYI & BLACK PRESSURE’.

Sakaki Mango is without doubt the greatest and most acclaimed Japanese musician to perform in Zimbabwe.   He is brought to Zimbabwe by the National Arts Council, in collaboration with Pamberi Trust.  As part of the music exchange programme, skills-sharing workshops will be held for young Zimbabwean artists.

A World Menu for World Music

To complement the colourful artistry of a great world-music performance, the Book Cafe presents a flavourful 3-course dinner special which includes cover charge for the show, and a choice of Chicken Livers or Peppered Fish for starters; Pesce Al Forno (oven-baked Hake in Napolitana sauce with black olives and roast potatoes) or Petti di Pollo al Forno (chicken breast oven-baked with mushrooms and green peppers), and cooling off with a chocolate cake and ice cream dessert.  The all-in price for the delightful dinner and show is US$20 pp and advance bookings are essential, on 086 440 666 22.

Also, hot fresh pizzas are always in the oven, and for those not dining, cover charge for the music performance only is US$10 pp.

END

Pamberi Trust

Book Cafe

23 May 2012