GARDENA — Byron Fija, a musician and Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan language) teacher in Okinawa, will be making a special one-night-only appearance at Gardena Buddhist Church on Saturday, July 20, at 8 p.m.
After leading an Uchinaaguchi workshop for youth at the 2013 Okinawa Wakamono Taikai in Torrance earlier in the day, Fija will be giving a one-hour public performance that will include uta-sanshin (traditional songs on an Okinawan stringed instrument).
This will mark the beginning of Fija’s Pirin-Paran USA Tour, which includes stops in Florida, Virginia, and Texas.
Fija has made a name for himself through the preservation and sharing of Uchinaaguchi, one of the six unique languages of the Ryukyu Islands that have been designated as “endangered” by UNESCO.
His appearance is made possible by the Okinawan Cultural Association of Texas.
Admission is $15 for the public and free for registered youth festival participants. Gardena Buddhist Church is located at 1517 W. 166th St. in Gardena.
For tickets or more information, visit http://fijabyron.ocatexas.org/.