Sat 18:00
About
After a long time estranged from his Ainu indigenous roots as a young man, Oki (Oki Kano) led a fascinating journey towards them. After moving to New York in the 1980s, he got a taste of the global and sought out for his belonging once he returned to Hokkaido: that is when he taught himself to play the tonkori –– five string lute bound to Ainu culture, part of his heritage –– and never looked back.
The result is a visionary amalgamation of indigenous Ainu music with global vocabularies.
A balancing act held together by traditional strings, peppered with jangly tones of sunny dispositions –– just listen to Yaykatekar Dub (Love Dub) and you will recognise this merge right away. OKI’s performances (both live and recorded) bring the imperishable force of Ainu music, languages and traditions into currency.
Received with great acclaim by international press – from The Guardian and Mojo to The Wire and The Quietus –– Tonkori in the Moonlight (2022) is a fine display of the enthralling power of the tonkori. Oki’s music carries the heft of ancestrality: his father was renowned Ainu wood sculptor Bikki Sunazawa and he continues to connect with heritage with his production ventures…
Source · Billetto
What to expect
Expect a charged, committed crowd. Arriving on the early side buys you the good spots. Energy is the product. Pace yourself; the peak comes later than you think.
The essentials
Entry is cheap or free, and the event runs Sat 18:00. You'll find it at Kinesiska Muren — the surrounding blocks carry the same energy, so the night doesn't have to end at one address.
Ask SORAI about this
Set times, the crowd, how to get in, what's good on the menu — ask anything about OKI (Hokkaido, Jp).
Location
Reviews & community
Same frequency nearby
Nefertiti Jazz Late
Same category · similar price