Video : Black Orpheus ( Manhã de Carnaval ) With Brenda OHANA

Since the end of last year, I have been practicing with a Brazilian percussionist, Brenda Ohana, and we have started to think of having a concert... and shooting this video was a part of it.

She is Brazilian and I am Japanese. The common thing between us is " we were not born and raised in the country where jazz originated " and " we did not start playing music because of being fascinated by jazz ". By the way, we both are rock fans. 

That is to say, we are complete strangers about  "tradition" of Jazz because of our musical roots and back born . 

But I don't think this is a negative thing in the culture of jazz. Because the reason we are still  fascinated by jazz and it is an art  that has the dynamism to take what these "outsiders" do and turn them into a creative power generator, I think. 

What should we do as "outsiders"?  This is one of the themes that both Brenda and I have had since before we started playing together.

My thought for playing this song...

In her country, Brazil, this song is very national one, and she knows this song like her flesh and bone. On the other hand, for me,  it is just one of the standards. It is a foreign music. 

If I try to play this in their musical language, it would be just a Dead Copy. But if I try to play it with my own language, it would be a real thing. 

" What should I do for playing with people who know it natively? "  That was my personal theme about this video.

And then,

CD album "Manipulated Dreams"  is available on Spotify. 

Thanks to your support.