In April, the renowned composer and musician, Akira Inoue, will present his project El Cant dels Ocells-Song of the birds to Catalonia. Through this initiative Inoue pays tribute to the life and ideals of Pau Casals by asking musicians around the world to offer their interpretation of the melody of El cant dels ocells. On 22 April, L’Auditori de Barcelona will be the venue for an official ceremony which will be attended by the General Consul of Japan in Barcelona, Joaquim Garrigosa, director of L’Auditori de Barcelona and Jordi Pardo, general director of the Pau Casals Foundation. Akira Inoue, driver of the project, the Yoshida brothers, Nataliya Gudziy and a group of violinists from the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya will offer a little taster of the great concert that will take place the following day in Vendrell. The presentation of this project in Catalonia has the special support of Kazushi Ono, music director of the OBC, and Yuriko Ono.

On 23 April, a concert-Renga (a kind of collaborative poetry) will take place at the Auditori Pau Casals del Vendrell. The concert is free, but tickets must be booked in advance at: www.ticketea.com. The musicians involved in this project include the composer, musical producer, keyboard player and music arranger, Akira Inoue, the Yoshida brothers, known for their interpretation of Japanese folk music, Nataliya Gudziy, who specialises in the bandura (national instrument from the Ukraine), Aska Kaneko, violinist, and a group of cellists from the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya.

Finally, from 21 April to 23 May a video will be shown at the Museu de la Música, consisting of an audio-visual compilation of the poem “Renga – El cant dels ocells”, in which more than 35 artists from Japan perform the traditional Catalan song immortalised by Pau Casals at the United Nations in 1971.

55 years after Pau Casals’ visit to Japan

In April 1961, Pau Casals visited Japan. The cultural and spiritual impact of that trip was enormous. 55 years later, a tribute to Pau Casals has arrived from Japan, thanks to the famous Catalan song he popularized as an anthem for peace and freedom, transcending borders. Many young Japanese people were touched by the musical genius and pacifist ideals of Pau Casals. One of those people was the brilliant cellist Yoritoyo Inoue (1912-1996), who was sent to fight during World War II and was held as a prisoner for three years in the USSR. After meeting Pau Casals in 1961, he proceeded to share his music and message with new generations throughout the country.
His son, Akira Inoue, is the force behind this project “Renga – The song of birds.” In “renga,” a sort of collaborative poetry, each author adds a fragment to a poem. Using “The song of birds” as the start of an epic poem, Akira Inoue has invited musicians from different disciplines to perform their own interpretations of the melody, establishing an enriching musical dialogue, connecting different peoples and cultures. “El cant dels ocells” has been performed all over Japan in concerts and workshops, including in the area of the country that was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Over 35 artists, including musicians playing traditional Japanese instruments and experts in classical European music, have joined the project and share their performances free online at www.thesongofbirds.com