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Japanese odyssey at Lower Parel

The Cool Japan Festival featured some of the best in Japanese art and culture.

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It is not unusual for High Street Phoenix to be abuzz with activity on weekends—especially when there are sales galore—but last week the scene was a little different. Visitors thronged the mall, not just for discounts and bargains, but to experience Japanese art, culture and food at the three-day Cool Japan Festival, which witnessed over 1,00,000 people. A steady stream of artists and bands, including popular Enka singer, Sarbjit Singh Chadha; Japanese pop band, Prizmmy; Tenko, a Japanese Taiko drum group; and Takarabune, who had flown down from Japan for the festival, came together for the three-day jamboree at this Lower Parel mall.

Awa Odori
A cultural extravaganza, the festival showcased talent from Japan with music groups performing to traditional and modern genres. Japan’s popular creative dance company, Takarabune, welcomed guests with their Awa Odori performance, better known in Japan as the ‘Dance of the fools’. With their arms and legs flailing all over the place, the group performed the 400-year-old dance form with great gusto. It was a delight to watch the performers, dressed in yukata (cotton summer kimonos), make complete fools of themselves as they took turns in playing the musical instruments, asking the audience to join in the dance. Minutes into their performance, they had the audience up on their feet, cheering for them as they performed their signature dance with energy and confidence.

Wadaiko drum performance
Close on their heels was Tenko, who enthralled the audience with a Wadaiko drum performance, touted as an ancient Japanese form of percussion using large drums. The performance was high on energy and upped the mood of the crowd  as the members played the drums louder, faster and harder, intertwining the beats with choreographed Japanese martial arts movements.

It is a known fact that culture bridges the gap between countries, communities and people, and the Cool Japan Festival served its purpose going by the words of Kiyoshi Asako, Consul General of Japan in Mumbai. “The festival celebrated its 3rd year and it is India’s biggest Japanese event, where guests can enjoy and experience the best Japan has to offer including Japanese food, technology, music and Anime. Through this event, I am looking forward to furthering and strengthening friendship between Japan and India,” he said.

Enka King and J-pop
As the performers enthralled the audience, one artist stood out in the crowd. Clad in a formal suit with a turban gracing his head, he was referred to by onlookers as the Enka king. When he stepped onstage, many in the audience mistook him for a Punjabi singer ready to belt out Punjabi numbers. But minutes into his musical performance, Enka King aka Sarbjit Singh Chadha won the hearts of the audience with a couple of refreshing Enka songs. Chadha, who is believed to have been introduced to the Japanese music genre when he first visited Japan, breathed new life into the festival with his music. The first, and perhaps the only, Indian Enka singer in Japan, this sexagenarian was glad to be singing on home turf.

Supporting the cultural brigade from Japan was Prizzmy, a 4-member girl band known for their J-pop (Japanese Pop) and an Anime performance by MAC.

As the festival came to a close, Rajendra Kalkar, Centre Director, High Street Phoenix put things into perspective. “High Street Phoenix takes pride in hosting international festivals. This festival acquainted our patrons with Japanese culture and also gave them a flavour of its unique diversity.
We believe in the spirit of ‘a day well spent’ in our mall; this association will spread our message across the globe.”

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