Monday 14 November 2022, 8pm
OKI will perform songs from his critically-acclaimed retrospective compilation Tonkori in the Moonlight, joined on-stage by his wife Rumiko Kano (vocals, tonkori), son Manaw (drums, tonkori) + Takashi Nakajo (bass).
One of the last surviving players of the tonkori - a 5-string harp performed by the indigenous Japanese Ainu people - OKI mixes traditional Ainu folk songs with international influences as varied as dub, Irish folk, throat singing, African drumming and music from Central Asia.
Born on the Japanese island of Hokkaido in 1957, he is a contemporary of the likes of Haroumi Hosono and Midori Takada, an explorative folk musician who is one of Japan’s most respected and restless contemporary folk musicians.
“(On Tonkori In the Moonlight) the Ainu maestro gives his people’s endangered ancient sound a modern lease of life – with dub, harmony and dazzling percussion” - The Guardian - folk album of the month (February 2022)
“A really, really, good album. Folkloric with some electronic moments and very much inspired by Haruomi Hosono. A worldwide winner” - Gilles Peterson
Supported by Daiwa Foundation
This East London duo are known for their intense live shows exploring the raw holler of folk, electronics, spoken word and intricate rustic dobro guitar. Full-force reworkings of centuries-old work-songs speak to contemporary issues of class, using multi-layered sonic palettes to deeply reflect hidden histories, told with a razor-sharp authenticity. Stick In The Wheel have created their own London vernacular, a contemporary roots music that celebrates the collective stories and traditions of the city - conjuring the past to point toward the future.
“Grabbing hold of folk music with both hands, dragging it through the 21st century city with no fear they might somehow break it” THE QUIETUS
“The most important band in the current British folk scene” ELE-KING MAGAZINE, JAPAN
