Dance, sing and get intoxicated with jazz at the Bon Odori festival

Immerse yourself in jazz tonight
File.3 Jazz de Bon Odori
(Mayuko Niimura/Jazz Cafe Chigusa)

In addition to the label business introduced in the previous column, Chigusa also produces and directs jazz-related events.
The event that takes the most time to prepare is the Jazz de Bon Odori , which is held in Chigusa 's home base of Noge. It was first held in 2014. With each passing year, the chaos has increased, and the scale of the event is such that it cannot be described simply as "bustling" or "a huge success."

The fourth annual event was held on September 22nd and 23rd this year. The event was packed with events, including a stellar lineup of performers, a merry-go-round, and Noge's attractive stalls. There was also a program for children, welcoming visitors of all ages and genders to enjoy.
As you can probably tell from the event name, the concept is "Let's dance Bon Odori with jazz!". Familiar jazz classics are arranged in a Bon Odori style and choreographed in a Bon Odori style. Everyone dances in a big circle to the powerful live music of musicians. If there was someone looking down on Noge from space during these two days, they would have to think that some kind of communication was taking place... maybe.

Chigusa is the driving force behind this excitement that has engulfed the region in excitement.
If you have ever visited a Chigusa store, you will understand that there is no casual atmosphere in the store where you can dance to jazz, and there is an unspoken rule that you should just shut up and listen to the good sound of the record. Jazz has a history of being elevated to the level of art by many excellent musicians who have accumulated skills. I hear people say that it takes courage to open the door to Chigusa , perhaps because they think that Chigusa is a place to listen to jazz as art. That is the essence of a jazz cafe, and we would like to continue to maintain that style in the future. All of our staff members also cherish the atmosphere of the store and intend to pass it on.

So why did such a serious(?) person get involved in this crazy event?

The closer we get to the essence of jazz, the more we realize that it is the music of daily life, popular music for men and women to dance to. If we go back to the basics, jazz is also about letting yourself go with the music and rhythm as you please, and enjoying it without thinking too much about it. There is something in common with the Japanese Bon Odori dance. Chigusa , which claims to be the oldest jazz cafe in Japan, cannot just focus on academics.

When Chigusa first opened 85 years ago, it was a place to convey the joy of swinging jazz, a genre of music unknown to many Japanese people. Therefore, we believe that it is Chigusa 's duty to provide a place to enjoy jazz in various ways.
If you want to experience a wide variety of jazz to your heart's content, you have to come to Noge Jazz de Bon Odori . Dance, drink, sing, eat, listen, and get intoxicated. Enjoy jazz with all five or six senses.

The event will be produced by Chigusa again next year, so please come along!