“OKI: Music of the Ainu” will be presented on Sunday, May 1, at the James Irvine Japanese Garden, Japanese Amerian Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo. Doors open at 6 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m.
Oki Kano, known professionally as OKI, is a leading performer of Ainu music — the music of Japan’s northernmost indigenous people. Born to a Japanese mother and an Ainu father, OKI has recovered and recreated traditional music on the tonkori, a stringed instrument of the Ainu people of Karafuto (a region also known as Sakhalin).
The rich, reverberating twang of the tonkori strings, which are traditionally made from deer tendons, allowed Ainu shamans to communicate with spirits that control the wind, rain and other natural phenomena called kamuy.
OKI is featured in the film “Ainu Mosir” (2020), currently streaming on Netflix.
Add on a casual meal that complements the unique and exquisite flavors of Hokkaido. JACCC Resident Chef Chis Ono will prepare a seasonal menu that evokes the flavors of legendary seafood and other unique artisanal dishes. Prepare for an evening that offers unique entertainment with specialty foods.
Dinner will be available at 6 p.m. and throughout the evening. Specialty cocktail, beer, and wine will be available for purchase.
Performance: $30 ($25 for JACCC members). Dinner: $35.
Limited seating. COVID safety precautions observed. Must have valid proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of event.
For more information, call (213) 628-2725, email info@jaccc.org or visit: https://www.jaccc.org/oki-kano