Cultural Translations

anime and videogames that have been popular across recent years among contemporaryJapanese youth. Their performance style is utterly exuberant, replete with “kawaii”gestures and enthusiastic youthful energy. In many respects, I would argue, theirapproach to hybridity echoes patterns of musicianship that may be traced more than acentury in the past to the “jinta” and other early westernized wind and percussiona century in the past to the “jinta” and other early westernized wind and percussion ensemblesensembles in Japan that adopted local folk melodies. 36 Brasta appears to have arisen quitein Japan that adopted local folk melodies. 33 Brasta appears to have arisen quite organically, andorganically, and its musical approach is to freely adapt the songs most familiar toits Japanese musical approach youth to is the to kinds freely adapt of western the songs instruments most familiar commonly to Japanese taught youth in to Japanese the kinds schools. ofwestern Notable instruments examples commonly of Brasta taught songs include Japanese their schools. popular Notable performance examples of Brasta “Maka songs Fushigiinclude Adventure” their popular from the performance Dragon Ball of “Maka videogame, Fushigi Adventure” (derived from manga the Dragon and Ball anime), vide-aogame, as BrastaGhibli, (derived from a recent manga and album anime), devoted as well entirely as BrastaGhibli, to brass arrangements a recent album of devoted music entirely fromwellto Hayao brass arrangements Miyazaki’s beloved of music epic from anime Hayao Miyazaki’s adventure beloved films (Studio epic anime Ghibli adventure productions). films (Studiofollowing Ghibli productions). figure illustrates The following application figure of illustrates the model application to Tokyo of Brass the model Style: to TokyoTheBrassStyle:Pentagonal Analysis of Cultural Translation (PACT)Musical Example: Tokyo Brass StyleCultural Origins: Contemporary Japanese Youth Culture(anime/gaming) / European Brass & Latin Dance Band (ska/salsa)Specific Domain:A) Technological Adaptations WSalience ofHybridity:[ Strong / Med / Weak ]Figure 8: PACT-Tokyo Brass StyleFigure 8: PACT-Tokyo Brass StyleMoscow Pan-Asian EnsembleExplanation/Evidence:Little new here considering the origins: Japanese school bandadaptations of global band traditions combined with Japanese youthculture influences (anime, videogame music, etc.).B) Idiomatic Conventions M Mastery of Latin styles; strong musical skills with unique image.C) Aesthetic Notions M“Phantasm”? Traditional notions of Japaneseness may be irrelevanthere. Outstanding performance technique on complex arrangementsof seemingly simplistic tunes.D) Creative Practices S Very original arrangements, effective improvisation.E) Receptive Contexts M Performances in nightclubs and workshops in schools.The Moscow Pan-Asian Ensemble (previously known as Wa-On Ensemble) is another examplewell Moscow worth consideration. Pan-Asian Ensemble In 2003, I performed and recorded a few times on trumpet and voicewith The this Moscow unique Pan-Asian free improvisation Ensemble ensemble (previously at the Tchaikovsky known as Wa-On Conservatory Ensemble) while I is was another livingexample well worth consideration. In 2003, I performed and recorded a few times onin Moscow and employed as a lecturer for Lomonosov Moscow State University. The Pan-Asiantrumpet and voice with this unique free improvisation ensemble at the TchaikovskyEnsemble is led by expert Russian musicians trained in composition, ethnomusicology, and musicMoscow therapy, State and who University. are especially The inspired Pan-Asian by Asian Ensemble music, is particularly led by expert Japanese Russian traditional musicians mu-Conservatory while I was living in Moscow and employed as a lecturer for Lomonosovsic. trained On the in JazzLoft composition, website, ethnomusicology, the Moscow Pan-Asian and Ensemble music therapy, is described and who as follows: are especiallyinspired “Pan-Asian by Asian Ensemble music, is particularly led by Georgy Japanese Mnatsakanov traditional (shakuhachi) music. and Dmitry On the Kalinin JazzLoft (shakuhachi,the hichiriki, Moscow Chinese Pan-Asian gong-chimes Ensemble and voice). is The described Ensemble is as augmented follows: by Varvara Sidoro-website,va, Kakujo Nakagawa and Misako Mimuro (all three on biwas) and Pyotr Nikulin on dijeridu and36 Dmitry Schyolkin on percussion. The leaders studied with great Japanese teachers. Amazingly, theShuhei Hosokawa, “Nihonno geinou 100nen: Jinta” Miyujikku Magajin, (1990, January), pp.103-107.Russians try to create new music based directly on Japanese musical traditions and its aestheticprinciples without distorting European composing techniques. Amazingly, they manage to createsomething truly original.” 3418In fact, both Mnatsakanov and Kalinin are highly accomplished shakuhachi players, each of3633 Shuhei Hosokawa, “Nihonno geinou 100nen: Jinta” Miyujikku Magajin, (1990, January), pp.103-107.34 http://www.jazzloft.com/p-45603-mujou.aspxDavid G. Hebert