Cherry blossoms were in full bloom when Icelandic musician Björn Thoroddsen visited Japan and performed with Kazumi Watanabe, an internationally renowned Japanese guitarist, in two concerts in Tokyo.
On April 2 Thoroddsen played with Watanabe’s band called Mountain at the Shinjyuku Pit Inn. Pit Inn is a jazz club with over 40 years of history. Mountain re-united for the first time in 15 years to celebrate Watanabe’s 40th anniversary as a professional guitarist.
The following day Thoroddsen and Watanabe played at Embassy of Iceland in Tokyo as a guitar duo. The event was hosted by Visit Iceland and ICELANDia (Alljos Entertainment) in Japan. With more than 50 guests the concert was well attended.
Wanting to make this event an occasion for cultural exchange, Yuka Ogura, an expert on Icelandic music, gave a brief introduction of Icelandic music before the concert began.
“Many people expressed how much they enjoyed the performance and the whole evening. They wish to see more events like this about Iceland and get to know Iceland better,” Ogura commented.
Club Iceland, a volunteer group, helped with organizing the concert and served drinks and light snacks.
