A mass of unaligned sounds. The music of Shobu Gakuen is overwhelming.
. In fact, there was one thing I was looking forward to. When I visited Kagoshima in early spring, Mr. Sakaguchi took me to Shobu Gakuen (*5). . I was completely taken by the overwhelming creative power of people with intellectual disabilities. At that time, he learned of the documentary film "Happiness is in the Days. which follows the daily life of Shobu Gakuen.
Seven years ago, Mr. Sakaguchi, who was busy trying to do something in his hometown of Kagoshima, was inspired by the existence of "orabu&otto," and it was their appearance at the Jamboree that solidified his still-vague image of the city. And for the past seven years, they have been the only band that has appeared regularly at the festival. The front of the open-air stage gradually fills up with customers and the atmosphere becomes heated. Shin Fukumori, the director of Shobu Gakuen and the band's conductor, talks to us and we practice our voices. What is going to happen . And so the live performance of "orabu&otto" began.
From that point on, I was hooked. I couldn't take my eyes off the stage, not even for a second, as my goosebumps and tears welled up, and I found myself dancing and yelling out loud.
A loop of phrases repeated by drums, djembe, gamelan beats, accordion, pianica, and xylophone. Screams of orabu troops with painted faces. There is no musical score. The sound and rhythmic displacements add more depth to this endless loop. What are the limitations and common sense of the world we live in? Is it possible for human beings to make sounds so freely? As if our ancestors had done this a long, long time ago, something primitive in my body was shaken and I could not stop. There were such amazing people in Kagoshima. There were such amazing people in Kagoshima.
UA's singing voice made possible by Friendship. Jamboree finale.
The area was completely enveloped in the night, and UA took the stage. Her friendship with Mr. Sakaguchi has brought her deep into the forest. This would be her last live performance this year. UA sings while gazing at the big camphor tree , the symbol of the Jamboree. She sings while swaying.
At the end of the concert, Mr. Sakaguchi also took the stage on trumpet for a session with UA. Amidst thunderous applause, the Good Enablers Jamboree came to a finale.
. meaning "Good Neighbors." . being a "jamboree" rather than a festival.
People who can make food make food, people who can draw draw pictures for billboards, and people who can teach. Among them, there are people who can play music. It is a flat festival where everyone brings one of their specialties. Seven years ago, Sakaguchi spent 10 months traveling back and forth between Tokyo and Kagoshima, meeting with many people and talking with them.
Gohan, crafts, design, literature, movies, music . Everything was even. It was a place where people brought what they could do, and where smiles were born through the interaction of people. This was true for both the performers and the guests. Adults and children alike. It was, without a doubt, a place where "Good Neighbors" (good neighbors) gathered from all over the country. It was a "Jamboree (festival)" where there was no "objective" and everything that happened there became the objective because it was an even contest.
JOIN US AGAIN! See you again next year at the Forest School.
We left the forest school, following the messages posted at the exit of the venue with our eyes.
Aren't you going to the Jamboree?"
. In Tokyo, it's our turn to ask. If they reply, "I've never been," we say, with a bit of smugness, "I've never been to Tokyo.
The Jamboree, you know, you have to go anyway."
(*1)
Shuichiro Sakaguchi / Born in 1971 . In 1993, he formed the international band Double Famous as a trumpeter, and since 2010, he has organized the "Good Neighbors Jamboree" in his hometown of Kagoshima, Japan. He co-founded the direction company "BAGN inc." within Landscape Products, and has produced many events in a wide range of genres.
(*2)
Hitoshi Okamoto / Born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1954 . After working as an editor for magazines such as Brutus, Relax, and Kounel at Magazine House, he joined Landscape Products in 2009. He is in charge of the company's "Be a Good Neighbor" project, and other projects that have no form. His publications include "Today's Shopping" ( by Prigla Publishing ), "Boku no Kagoshima Guide" and "Boku no Kagawa Guide" ( both by Landscape Products ), and "Honyoshinenai Hon no Hanashi" ( by Hon no Shironsha ). Currently, "Today's Shopping" is serialized in "Kurashi no Techo" and "Hateshinenai Hon no Hanashi" in "&Premium"; on October 15, 2016, he will release "Bokura no Okayama Guide," a book he edited with Shuichiro Sakaguchi.
(*3)
Shinichiro Nakahara / Born in 1971 in Kagoshima, Japan. Representative of Landscape Products. He is the owner of Playmountain, which sells original furniture, TasYard, BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR COFFEE KIOSK, CURATOR'SCUBE, a gallery space, and Pho 321 Noodle bar, a Vietnamese noodle diner. Noodle bar", a Vietnamese noodle restaurant. . He is also involved in residential/retail design work, event production, and brand direction.
(*4)
Hiroshi Kawanabe / Born in 1967 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kawanabe is the trackmaker behind the TOKYO No.1 SOUL SET and has been a DJ since the dawn of Japan's club scene, wowing the floor at many legendary parties. He has also worked with Hiroshi Fujiwara , Takkyu Ishino, and others as a separate unit. He has also produced music for many other artists, as well as music for TV, movies, and commercials.
(*5)
Shobu Gakuen / A facility for people with intellectual disabilities located in Yoshino-cho, Kagoshima City. The facility offers creative and expressive activities such as woodworking, ceramics, dyeing and weaving, Japanese paper, sewing, and other crafts, artistic activities, and musical performances. On the premises, a bakery, restaurant, soba noodle shop, and other food spaces are open to the community, supporting a style of creation that suits the individuality and aptitude of the people who use the facility. Many visitors come from all over the world to learn about Shobu Gakuen's stance. A documentary film on Shobu Gakuen's activities, "Happiness is in the Everyday . has received a great response and is currently being screened nationwide.http://silentvoice.jp/whilewekissthesky/ The only band that has continued to perform at the event since its inception, Sakaguchi and the Shobu Gakuen band "oto&orabu" were the first to perform at the event.
