 New
York–Tokyo Music Festival 2006
SEPTEMBER 30th, 2006. CENTRAL PARK, NYC
 AsiaFinest.com
was on hand to proudly support the second annual New York–Tokyo Music
Festival. On Saturday, September 30, 2006 at Rumsey Playfield in Central
Park, this free event focused on bringing artists from the East and the
West to expose their impressive talents. In one location, music lovers
were able to experience hip-hop, break beats, jazz, traditional Japanese
drums, and reggae.
Before the live entertainment began, people of all ages were able to enjoy
the freebies from the event’s sponsors. There was something for everyone,
from Uniqlo’s “Tokyo to NY” fashion display in a real-size
container to Sharp showcasing its HD televisions with Japanese music videos,
Canon’s picture opportunity with Maria Sharapova’s cardboard
cutout to Kyolic’s garlic pills giveaways. There were even new games
for the gamers to test their skills in and previews of a new animation
series for the anime addicts. Once it was time for the live performances,
however, festival-goers slowly retreated from the event’s booths
and made their way to the center stage.
Aun kicked off the musical entertainment with their vivacious act using
unique Japanese drums(see
video here). B-boy groups followed with their jaw-dropping breakdancing
skills. Mighty
Crown then turned Rumsey Playfield into a mini-club with their fans
bumping and grinding to their reggae mixes. After the dancehall music,
Pe’z smoothed the crowd’s ears by playing their upbeat jazz
hits. Hifana
then introduced their human-powered beats using drums, turntables and
the infamous MPC (music production center). DJ
A-Trak showed us why he was the first disc jockey to win five world
championships with his flawless transitions between mixes. And last, but
not least, Talib
Kweli pulled the most people to the center stage when he performed
old and new joints. At this point of the night, it became obvious that
people bonded through the universal language of music in spite of different
cultural backgrounds.
As the event came to an end, we left with an even deeper appreciation
for the fashion, animation, music, and dance of Japan and the Far East.
Compared to the first New
York–Tokyo Music Festival, this event was definitely a step up.
From the bigger venue to the bigger crowd, there was so much more to see
and experience. Most of the event attendees had an enjoyable time. Aside
from the lack of seating and the high cost of food, everything else from
the event was great. Despite the gloomy weather, this festival successfully
accentuated the influences, admiration and respect the East and the West
have and shares with each other.
Review written by Norina Li from AsiaFinest.com
Event's
Pictures || Event's
Videos || Interview
with NY-Tokyo President
We have pictures and videos coverage from the event. Be sure to check
them out as well as our follow up interview with the president of NY-Tokyo.
If you have any pictures or videos from the New York–Tokyo Music
Festival 2006, please send it to us and we'll post it up.
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