My Jazz Travel to Beijing Olympics Commemorative Performance

The Beijing Olympics, held in August 2008, was a very important event, as we have no idea how many years will pass before the next Olympics are scheduled to be held in the Asian region.
The fact that our jazz band "Yasuo Arai & Heavens Four" was chosen from all over the world to perform in commemoration of the Olympics is a great honor above all else, and we are thrilled to be able to represent Japan and bring excitement to these Olympics.
As you all know, gatherings of more than 300 people were banned due to terrorism, but our jazz band was officially invited to perform at the National Theatre "Jia Gong Hall" to a full house. The only other major event in Beijing during the Olympics was a performance by a British opera on the previous day.
The success of the jazz performance was reported the next day in newspapers and on the Internet, and broadcast by the China International Broadcasting Corporation to more than 200 countries in 38 languages. The article is on the last page.

In October 2002, the jazz band "Yasuo Arai & Heavens Four" was officially invited to Beijing to perform in the jazz section of the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan.
Because of this, Yasuo Arai has earned the utmost trust of the Chinese government, and in order to fulfill his responsibility as the leader of this year's group, he visited Beijing three times before the Olympics and carefully prepared for meetings and other events.

It would be unthinkable for a group of people to make hotel reservations in Beijing, the venue of the Olympic Games, in the middle of the Bon Festival in August. The accommodation was provided by Mr. Feng, Director of the Cultural Ministry of the Chinese government, who specially arranged for us to stay at a hotel that is used by local legislators and other senior government officials. The hotel was very quiet and clean, and the rooms were well maintained.
The young ladies at the lobby reception were very polite and the atmosphere was very friendly, but the security was top notch and we had nothing to worry about.

The sky in Beijing was clear blue and not terribly hot, and the 26 accompanying members, including Yasuo Arai, started off on an unusual journey in the latest bus.
On the day of the performance, we were excited to go to the venue, probably because we had practiced the day before. The sound (PA) staff at the venue was not well versed in the machines, especially for jazz and popular bands, and they probably had no knowledge of sound balance and monitor volume for each instrument, which are important for us.
I would like them to take this opportunity to study and from now on, I would like them to be held to the world's standards.

Now, once the event started, we could not stop it no matter what. We had planned to have Ms. Mari Tababa from Japan as the emcee, but she and her husband had to cancel their visit to China at the last minute due to a sudden health problem.
Despite the sudden request, Ms. Wang was able to serve as the emcee without hesitation, as one would expect from such an intelligent Chinese beauty. Thank you, Ms. Wang! Thank you, Ms. Wang!

As for the performance, I, Yumi Arai, was led by Mr. Sugawara, the drummer, who never runs as usual, and we started off without any problems. I am sure the other members felt the same way as I did.

Ujiie-san on saxophone, Takahashi-san, a doctor and trumpet player, Ogawa-san on bass, Yoshida-san, Mori-san, Ota-san, Hayashi-san, Nakajima-san, and Yasuo Arai, the group leader. Everyone seemed happy to perform. The microphone didn't go in at the beginning of the belly dance song, but it was strange because that didn't matter once the wonderful dancing got heated up....
The audience's understanding of jazz was different from when we performed in 2002. During the encore song, the audience's total hand-clapping will be a source of inspiration for us band members in the future.
At the launch party after the performance, Dr. Yuan and Dr. Feng of China Foreign Culture Corporation said, "Congratulations on your success! I will never forget the tearful and relieved faces of those who heard the words "Congratulations on your success!

Belly dancer Mika Yaguchi is one of the three most accomplished dancers in Japan, as you may know from TV and other media. I never thought I would be able to work with this busy person.... Yumi Arai, who was in the same room with me, observed her with a casual pretense and was nothing but impressed. Her professionalism is well established, and she never misses massaging and stretching her body and face every night, even while chatting.
Even when I was having a fun and luxurious time with everyone (drinking every night), she absolutely ignored me and decided to go to bed early. I guess being beautiful takes effort. Sorry. I should learn from her a little....

This tour was basically an Olympic jazz performance, but it was also a gourmet tour.
The restaurants recommended by Dr. Feng were just as Chinese people usually eat. All the menus were delicious and filling, and our appetites were already high in the sky in autumn (although it was still mid-summer). But how can Chinese people eat so much delicious food and not get fat? We were also surprised that we didn't gain so much weight even though we ate a lot during these five days. Chinese food is a great mystery.

On the last day, we were rushing around the city, and we didn't have time to feel tired, but Dr. Feng took us around so much that we were able to finish all the important sightseeing spots in a short time. This is something that would normally be unthinkable. I was so impressed. Thank you very much.
Mr. Mori also did a great job despite having a disability in one leg. I think we will probably see changes in her life in the future. Thank you also to those who supported Ms. Mori.

I, as well as those who accompanied me, found Beijing to be a city with beautiful skies, well-maintained cityscapes, delicious food, and on a much larger scale than I had imagined...I was very impressed with the city and its people. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the Olympic games, but I felt the new China to the fullest.

I can't tell you how much effort Yasuo Arai, the leader of the delegation, and Dr. Feng of the Chinese government and Ministry of Culture put in to make this commemorative performance a success, and I am sure there were many hardships that cannot be described to anyone who can relate to the success of the event.
I would also like to thank my companions, Dr. Sugitani and his daughter, Mr. Imamura, Mr. Hasebe, Mr. Yajima, Ms. Masuda, Mr. Kaneno, Mr. Tajima, Mr. and Mrs. Kudo, Mr. Hotta, Mr. Sugawara, and everyone else who worked in unison to support me. I still feel as if I were a member of your family.
In addition to the Olympics, which are held once every four years, I hope you will all continue to join me on this enjoyable performance tour to the end of the world while you are still young.
Thank you very much for accompanying us to the Beijing Olympics. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[Japanese Jazz Band to Liven Up Olympics in Beijing (CRI Online Japan)]
[Beijing Youth Daily - Article on the Heavens Four's appearance in China]
[China Culture News - Article on the Heavens Four's appearance in China]

For Snapshots of Beijing Olympics Commemorative Performance