Hiroshima to Headline Two Benefit Concerts for No. Calif. Organizations

The two-time Grammy-nominated band Hiroshima will headline two benefit concerts for Northern California Asian American/Pacific Islander organizations on Friday, Sept. 26, in Sacramento and on Saturday, Sept. 27, in Oakland.

Hiroshima continues to top the charts with tracks from its “J-Town Beat” (2013) CD. The group, led by co-founders Dan Kuramoto (saxophone, flute and shakuhachi) and June Kuramoto (koto), includes Kimo Cornwell, keyboards; Danny Yamamoto, drums; and Dean Cortez, bass.

Special guest vocalists Terry Steele and Yvette Nii will join Hiroshima for both concerts. On Sept. 27, taiko drummer Shoji Kameda joins the group for the concert in Oakland. All three artists were part of the “Legacy” (2010) CD that garnered Hiroshima a Grammy nomination.

The special program will feature favorites from throughout Hiroshima’s 35 years in the industry, something that has not been done in more than a decade. Songs will be selected from their first album, “Hiroshima,” through their current CD. Selections include “Roomful of Mirrors” (from “Legacy” and “Hiroshima”), “Long Time Love” and “Never Ever” (from “Hiroshima”) and Steele’s signature piece, “The Door Is Open” (from “Between Black and White”).

Dan Kuramoto stated, “Hiroshima is about the community. That is a major reason why we started the band. We are honored to have been asked to be a part of these benefit concerts for these two organizations that are so important to the Asian American/Pacific Islander communities. We were asked to create a very special program that would bring the community together to celebrate the great work these organizations provide for our community. We encourage everyone to come join us and support the work being done in Northern California.”

On Sept. 26, “An Evening with Hiroshima” will benefit the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation (SASF) at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento. SASF stands as a leader in the AAPI community. To position itself for growth, the foundation has invested in a community/recreational facility for the greater Sacramento area. The Quest project will receive proceeds from the concert. For more information, visit www.sasfquest.org.

On Sept. 27, Hiroshima participates in Asian Health Services’ 40th gala. AHS is a community health center that offers primary health care services and a dental clinic. It serves over 24,000 patients and conducts over 105,000 patient visits annually. The staff is fluent in English and 11 Asian languages: Cantonese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Korean, Khmer (Cambodian), Mien, Mongolian, Tagalog, Lao and Burmese.

AHS’ mission is to serve and advocate for the medically underserved, including the immigrant and refugee Asian community, and to ensure equal access to health care services regardless of income, insurance status, language, or culture. For more information, visit www.asianhealthservices.org.

Concert information: