Satoko Sings J.S. Bach - Music Video Project Campaign

"You might want to sing this Bach's tune."

One of my listeners recommended me one day.

- Cello Suite No.6 in D major, Sarabande by J.S. Bach -

It reminded me immediately of a word "musica", the Medieval Latin term for music.

At that time, music was a philosophic concept to study nature or the movements of celestial bodies.

This beautiful melody by Bach was also dedicated to the Creator of the Universe.

My first inspiration was to sing in Japanese, praising the nature of our land.

I asked him who informed me about this tune, what he remembers about his home land.

He described great mountains, river, white birches and wild mountain flowers in Nagano Prefecture.

By adding scenery of my home land Hokkaido, I developed my lyric.

I would say this is my version of "Moon River" in which I recall father, mother and my Huckleberry friends. 

At the same time, this is addressed toward the people who gave me benign support.

This is my very first trial to initiate so-called cloud-funding campaign. 

In my past projects, I produced and created both of my albums at my own expense. 

However, this time I set relatively large budget for the production of the music video of one piece of song. 

The reason why I decided in that way is to show my respect to great Bach by making this video with good quality as much as possible. 

I roughly put the cost at 400,000JPY. Half of it will be covered by my own expense.

For arrangement, I asked Shuntaro OISHI, who is a young prominent saxophonist based in Tokyo. He learned in Tokyo University of the Arts, the highest art institution of our country and has been working on collaboration with cross-border performers. 

For videography, there was a happy encounter with Akiyoshi KITAGAWA of sprawl.inc. who is based in Sapporo and achieves great reputation by his numerous works in music videos and art videos.

I wish you would find this project special and inspiring. Please join us!

- About Shooting-

It is scheduled in September, 2017 in Hokkaido.

Clear air, open sky, fresh energy of growing grasses and flowers.

Hopefully this powerful vibration of Hokkaido will appear in this video!

Your name will appear in the closing credits.

You are qualified to receive recording of the song exclusively offered to supporters.

Additionally, variety of plans are offered including invitation to a concert, original music scores,unreleased takes from past albums and so on!

- About Lyric-

"Elm" by Satoko

(A lyric for J. S. Bach Cello Suite No.6 in D major Sarabande)

Golden rays falling down from an old elm

Cuddling up the shadow you make 

The sky expands so vast 

Blades of grass grows shiny 

A ladybird crawls across green 

A white hat left on the bench

Turned into pink purple by the glorious sunset of the day 

My mind flies back to olden days 

Those cherished memories are as vivid as photographs 

The night I cried

The smell of mother’s garment 

Still lingers on somewhere deep in my heart 

To seek forgiveness

A pilgrim continues the quest until he realizes himself 

Father Mountain soars in the north 

Friend River waits for our returning 

Mountain flowers, birch trees 

Never go away 

Home land, I dream like an everlasting flower 

Part of myself, I dedicate to thy will like a holy prayer

- End Story - 

"Our effort in leaving cultural and historical legacy to the next generation is undertaken only by people's heart and passion." words by Kan YASUDA, an internationally renowned sculptor who was born in Hokkaido.

I wish my effort in realizing this project will also result in linking people's heart and passion.

I can joyfully imagine that people watch this video, listen to this song and hum along to this universal melody by the Medieval great composer.

■ Vocal&Lyric by Satoko

Satoko was born in Sapporo, Japan, began learning classical piano at age of 5. 

Her encounter with jazz occurs when she entered Gakushuin University. 

Soon she started singing as a member of Waseda University Modern Jazz Club. 

In the early stage of her jazz study, she was influenced by Scandinavian jazz. In 1998,

she visited Demark and Sweden and meet Jeanette Lindstrom(vo), Lina Nyberg(vo),

Lars Jansson(p), Anders Persson(p), Yasuhito Mori(b) or Jacob Karlzon(p).

As a result of this inspiring encounter, she began composing and writing lyrics. 

Between 2002-2013, her activity was based in Kansai area, where she nurtured her talent

by giving regular performing at popular clubs and playing with Kansai’s best players such as

Phillip Strange(p), Akira Shiomoto(g), Takeshi Shimizu(p) or Tsutomu Takei(ts). This period

also brought her unexpected favorable result. Kansai listeners known as the biggest market

for female jazz singers gave her good challenge to develop her repertoire.

Now it includes standards by Richard Rodgers, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy Van Heusen,

or Billy Strayhorn, contemporary instrumental tunes by Thelonious Monk, Fred Hersch,

Steve Swallow or Wayne Shorteras as well as her own compositions sang in Japanese,

English or vocalese.

In 2013, she earned NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Kobe Broadcasting Station Award

for the annual Kobe Jazz Vocal Queen Contest. In August of the same year, she released her

first CD "All The Pretty Little Horses", which was nominated by Jazz Page for the Best Vocal

Album 2013 as well as "satoko" for the Best Jazz Vocal 2013.

Her 2nd album "Oneness" has been released on 5 September 2015 in Japan

In this fine duo album with Chieko Maki(p), she successfully describes Japanese culture and landscapes in jazz text.

In 2016, she started performing in Europe.

>>>Go to website

■ Saxophone&Arrangement by Shuntaro Oishi

Saxophonist, composer, multi-reedist (flute, clarinet), director

Born in Akita Prefecture in 1986, raised in Kanagawa Prefecture

Bachelor of Arts, Tokyo University of the Art

Has been performing in many concerts and recording across classic, contemporary, jazz, and improvisation

Has worked with renowned performer such as Masahiko Sato, Shuntaro Tanikawa, Kensaku Tanikawa, Yuki Saga, and Pierre Barouh.

Since 2011 - conducted "Alternative Infinity" concert series

Since 2014 - Music director of Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse No.1 Hall

Solo project - "Cinematomusica"

Member of "VOICE SPACE", "The Alien Networks"

Studied saxophone from Hisashi Onuki, Kazuo Tomioka, Masato Ikegami, Masashi Oshiro

Studied jazz from Seiji Tada, Dairo Miyamoto

Studied chamber music from Marguerite France, Kinichi Nakamura, Masahiro Owada

>>>Go to website

■ Videography by Akiyoshi Kitagawa

Was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. And used to produce short films working as a videographer in Tokyo.

One of them was screened at 42nd Ann­Arbor Film Festival in the U.S, at which luminaries such as Gus Van Sant and Andy Warhol have showcased their early works,

and also won a prize at a domestic film festival.

In recent years, mainly produces photos and videos to visualize the multi­layer of time in the motif of people or landscape.

Also works on directing and shooting music videos and TV commercials as a representative of sprawl Inc.

Based in Sapporo and western Tokyo.

◎ Prize - winning

・42nd Ann-Arbor Film Festival (2004 · Selected )

・8th Chofu Film Festival (2005・Encouragement Award )

・Cannon New Cosmos of Photography (2011・Honorable mention)

・8th Photo "1_WALL” (2013・Selected)

・2013 KAWABA NEW-NATURE PHOTO AWARD (2013 · KAWABA Award)

・JR Tower Art Box (2014・Award for excellence)

◎ Major solo and group exhibitions

・Solo Exhibition “Water Garden UTONAI” ( 2010・Tomakomai Ikoro )

・Solo exhibition “Unknown Northern City” ( 2010・Gallery Shinajina-Houmura)

・Solo exhibition “Two Sanctuaries” ( 2010・Gallery Gallery Shinajina-Houmura )

・Group Exhibition “2011 Tokyo Exhibition New Cosmos of Photography” ( 2011・Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography )

・Solo exhibition "annoski #01 tuie-pira" (2011 · Gallery Cosmos)

・Solo Exhibition “annoski” (2012 · Gallery Poetic Scape)

・Group Exhibition “New Cosmos of Photography Exhibition 2012 Sendai” ( 2012・Sendai Mediatheque )

・Solo Exhibition “annoski - installation version-"（2014・Plantation）

・Solo Exhibition "meltgram"（2014・ART BOX in JR TOWER）

・The Sorachi Coalmine Heritage Art Project 2014（2014・Shimizusawa,Hokkaido）

・Contemporary Photography and Video Artists of Hokkaido（2015・HOKKAIDO MUSEUM OF MODERNART）

・Solo Exhibition “Okhotsk #01″（2016・GRANVISTA GALLERY SAPPORO）

・Installation「sidhe」（2016・Vacant）

◎Education

・Hokkaido University of Education（2016）