Jamaican tenor and cultural ambassador Steve Higgins recently visited Tokyo and Tottori, Japan, to showcase Jamaican Folk Songs. While in Japan, Higgins performed at concert halls, engaged with students at Iwami High School, and collaborated with celebrated Japanese artists. His tour commemorated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Jamaica, sharing the rich musical heritage of Jamaica with enthusiastic audiences.
Concerts and Performances in Japan
While in Japan, Higgins showcased Jamaican Folk Songs at concert halls in Tokyo and Tottori, as well as other selected venues. He shared Jamaica’s rhythmic, pulsating folk music in a full 75-minute concert mode, with an eager audience that has a longstanding admiration for Jamaica’s culture.
Collaborative Effort and Commemorative Events
Higgins’ music tour was a joint collaboration of the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo and Japan’s Min-On Concert Association, supported by the Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Tottori Prefectural Government. The folk concerts in Tokyo and Tottori Prefecture commemorated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Jamaica.
Ms. Yukari Kiyono, a celebrated Japanese operatic soprano, and Mr. Mitsuru Hirose, a distinguished pianist, joined Higgins in performances for these highly anticipated commemorative events. The response in the Japanese community to this series was very spirited.
Engagement with Students at Iwami High School
Higgins also sang at the Iwami High School in Tottori, where he engaged students and was treated to renditions of Jamaican music performed by the School’s Blue Martin Jazz Orchestra. The exchange culminated in a joint performance of songs, including Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’. The participation of students complemented Higgins’ annual workshop series on Jamaican Folk music in universities, museums, and schools across the Jamaican Diaspora.
Statements from Officials
“We were excited to welcome Mr. Higgins to Japan for this Jamaican cultural showcase as we introduced Japan to another genre of Jamaica’s music. I looked forward to the nostalgia that he brought through his spirited performance of Jamaica’s folk music,” said H.E. Shorna-Kay Richards, Jamaican Ambassador to Japan. Min-On’s Director of International Relations, Mr. Toshiaki Matsuo, shared: “We all love Jamaica and its vibrant music and culture! In the past, we have had excellent collaboration with Jamaica’s talented musicians. This time was no different as Higgins shared folk music from Jamaica with our members and other guests.”
Higgins’ Reflections
Higgins expressed his gratitude, saying, “I was honoured to have received this invitation to Japan and looked forward to delivering exhilarating performances, including a tribute to the incomparable Harry Belafonte!” He added, “This year, we brought love from the Land of Wood and Water to the Land of the Rising Sun during this special anniversary year for the people of Jamaica and Japan.”
Higgins’ Background and Impact
Over the years, Steve Higgins Productions has presented Jamaican Folk music all over Europe, North America, The Caribbean, and the United Kingdom. In addition to Folk songs, Higgins sings Jazz, Ballads, Standards, Broadway tunes, Sacred music, Italian Arias, and of course, most Jamaican popular genres. His concerts attract diverse audiences of all ethnicities, as he continues to work with Jamaican Embassies, High Commissions, and Consulates in promoting Jamaica’s culture in the global community.
