 |
| Japanese Musician Mukoyama aka Anyango in a Perfomance |
She was born in 1981 in Tokyo Japanese. While studying at the Tokyo University in her third year, she opted to go to New York to study music. The day was the famous September 11 when Al Qaeda bombed the World Trade Centre in New York. This led to the cancellation of her flight and subsequent return to Japan.
Anyango
attended an African Music concert in Japan in 2003 in which she witnessed a
Japanese band, Burugenge, play a Mijikenda song. She developed tremendous
interest in the African music. She proceeded to join the band and spend a year
touring Japan.
Anyango
is the first female musician in the world to play nyatiti, an instrument played
only by male musicians. Her interest in African music led her to travel to
Kenya. She learned how to play the traditional music instrument.
 |
| Musician Mukoyama, the Nyatiti Player |
Because
of her love for African music, Mukoyama sings in both Luo and Kiswahili
languages, using her stage name Anyango.
She also speaks fluently in Luo and Kiswahili.
Anyango
released her first solo album dubbed ‘Nyatiti Diva’ in 2009. The following year
she released her second album titled ‘Horizon.’ The same year she was selected
among ‘100 most respected people’ by Newsweek Japan.
She
has been a real cultural ambassador of Kenya and Japan. In 2013, a regular
concert named “Anyango Promenade” was held in Japan. This event was also a
memorial event of Kenya’s 50th independence Jubilee. During her
World Tour in 2013, she performed in Italy, France, Germany and Kenya.
This
year, Anyango took part, as a guest speaker, in the 10th Afri -
Converse Sessions in Japan which looks into Africa’s diverse culture and
beauty: sports, fashion, music and dance. The discussions were in preparation
for the Japan-Africa conference held in August 2019 in Yokohama, Japan.
Post a Comment