Yokohama City hosts 4-day music festival 'Live Yokohama'

Nov 20, 2024

Yokohama [Japan], November 20 : This autumn, Yokohama City resonated with music during the 4-day event "Live Yokohama."
The city continues its efforts to become an even more vibrant and comfortable place to live.

A standout feature of the event was a jazz band formed by local residents, bringing together both young and senior musicians.
They delighted audiences with jazz renditions of popular anime songs.
Yokohama boasts a rich connection to jazz. In 1925, the city hosted its first jazz performance, and by 1933, a dedicated jazz cafe had opened its doors.
Today, with more than 40 venues, including live houses showcasing jazz performances, Yokohama is recognised as one of the world's premier cities for jazz music.
Official of Yokohama City, Kaori Mori said, 'Live Yokohama' is the first event of its kind held this year. Over four days, more than 30 stages offered visitors a wide range of music, art, and live performances. Looking ahead, venues like the 'K Arena,' with a capacity of 20,000 people, along with 'Pia Arena' and others, are set to draw countless music enthusiasts to Yokohama over the next five years.
High school students also showcased their talent during the festival, performing music with wind instruments. Ten brass bands from schools nationwide participated, each with 50 to 100 students.
These young musicians took on the challenge of performing beloved Japanese songs that have remained popular for over 70 years, preserving this timeless music for the younger generation.
Yokohama citizens also had the chance to engage with music directly.
Yamaha set up a special booth where visitors could try out eight different instruments, including the violin, saxophone, and drums.
One of the visitors said, "It was a great opportunity because I wanted my daughter to have a variety of experiences.
The visitor said, "Violins are very expensive, so I thought it was wonderful that my daughter could try one here.
I think it's amazing that we could try all these different instruments for free. It's a great way to spark children's interest in music. The best way is to let them experience it first-hand. We had a lot of fun.
With its rich musical history, Yokohama City continues to evolve, making strides to become an even more vibrant, attractive, and comfortable place to live.