Eight Directions of the Wind: Hiroshima + Patrick Shiroishi & Kyoko Takenaka
Join us March 22nd at the Huntington Gardens for a morning listening session, conversation, and performance.
Inspired by the art exhibition, “the eight directions of the wind: Edmund de Waal at The Huntington,” this series of intimate vinyl listening sessions—co-hosted by creative director Josh Kun and In Sheep’s Clothing—explores themes of exile, sanctuary, and migration.
Each session features a hi-fi sound system and a single-key vinyl recording—with accompanying physical liner notes—that tie the exhibition to musical histories and communities across Los Angeles and invite listeners to dive deeper into the historical contexts of each selection.
Session two focuses on the self-titled 1979 debut album by the trailblazing Los Angeles band Hiroshima. Formed by Dan Kuramoto and June Kuramoto, Hiroshima pioneered a singular L.A. sound that merged Japanese koto and taiko with jazz, R&B, pop, and funk. Their debut for Arista Records—a landmark of Asian American music— had roots in music scenes in Boyle Heights and Koreatown, and in histories of war, discrimination, protest, and imprisonment that shaped the band’s biographies.
The event will feature a conversation with June Kuramoto and a special live performance by multi-instrumentalist Patrick Shiroishi and butoh dancer and vocalist Kyoko Takenaka.
Curated by exhibition creative director and music scholar Josh Kun in partnership with In Sheep’s Clothing, listening sessions will take place in different locations across The Huntington’s grounds in the months ahead.
