In December of 2014, I was asked to join with Ms. Ryoko Itabashi in a stage performance for the annual Ottawa Tea Festival. The event is hosted every year in Ottawa and brings in tea merchants and enthusiasts for several days to unite a variety of cultures through the world’s most popular drink.
Our set was an exhibition of Japanese music that included Ryoko’s dynamic Tsugaru Shamisen talents and selections of Ohayashi and taiko music that launched the day off with a bang. We were very grateful to the tea festival for the opportunity and hope for the continued success of this unique event.