"I was born and raised in Okinawa, a small island with a complex history and a very rich culture, and my music blends hip hop, Okinawa music, and Japanese like my roots, Awich shared. After World War II, Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands were under United States administration for 27 years before they were returned to Japan in 1972. To this day, it holds the largest US military presence, creating a Western fusion environment that fostered Awich's love for hip hop."
"When I was 14 years old, I encountered hip hop, and I felt like the words that were in rap music and hip hop were different from other genres of music. It was more focused on the message. It was more poetic to me. So I was drawn toward that, and I wanted to turn my poetry into rap music. I wanted to express everything I was feeling. All of the contractions I was seeing growing up in Okinawa, Awich said."
Japan Champloo in the Park is a curated SummerStage segment set for Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage. The segment features DJ U-LEE, OZworld, rapper JP THE WAVY, and pianist BIGYUKI alongside curator Awich. Awich blends hip hop, Okinawan music, and Japanese language in her work, drawing on Okinawa's complex history and rich culture. Okinawa experienced US administration for 27 years after World War II and continues to host a large US military presence, creating a Western fusion environment that influenced Awich's musical development. Childhood poetry and a discovery of hip hop at 14 led her to transform introspective writing into rap.
Read at www.amny.com
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