- Hi planetary citizens, brothers and sisters, welcome back to the Concert of Colors.

My name is Ismael Ahmed, director and curator of the Concert of Colors, and host of WDET's "This Island Earth."

The Concert of Colors was created nearly three decades ago to celebrate the cultures, and struggles of Detroit's communities of color.

Today we come together to celebrate all our cultures, communities, religions, and genders.

And as in the past we hope to return to our live format where we can once again enjoy each other's company.

We would like to thank all of the staff, volunteers, and artists that have made this year's event possible, especially the Detroit Institute of Arts who have played such an important role, as well as Detroit Public Television, WTVS, and Detroit public radio, WDET.

For this year's schedule, information and most importantly to support our efforts go to www.concertofcolors, one word, concertofcolors.com.

And now let's take a minute to thank our partners and sponsors.

- [Announcer] Support for this program was provided by the Kresge Foundation, DTE, AARP, the Detroit Free Press, Midtown Inc, Skillman Foundation, and michigan.com.

And by these partners, Concert of Colors, Culture Source, Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles Wright Museum of African American History, the Arab American National Museum, Michigan Science Center, the University of Michigan Detroit, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Public Television, City of Detroit Department of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship, Science Gallery of Detroit, WDET 101.9 FM, the Scarab Club, Keegan Foundation, Access, Hellenic Museum of Michigan, College for Creative Studies, Marx Layne, New Detroit Inc, Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts, and Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

(upbeat music) Stay tuned for more music with our global and local fellow citizens, and masterful musicians for tonight's broadcast.

- Hi!

Welcome to the Concert of Colors!

My name is Toko Shiiki.

I'm a Japanese filmmaker and singer with October Babies.

I'm very excited to introduce a Japanese band, Minyo Crusaders, to you!

Minyo Crusaders are a new 10-piece big band coming to us from Japan.

They joyfully rework traditional Japanese folk songs, which are called min'yM, by fusing them with arrangements inspired by various international music genres, including Caribbean, Latin and African grooves.

They released their first album, "Echoes of Japan" in 2017, and have been steadily gaining fans all around the globe for their funky musical celebration of new ideas that also revive old traditions.

Evoking nostalgia for a forgotten Japan, the group's co-founder Katsumi Tanaka says, "As a traditional performing art, min'yM is considered highbrow, yet these are mainly songs for working, dancing or drinking.

We want to return them to their literal meaning as songs of the people."

Minyo Crusaders exemplify the vibrancy of Japanese folk music removed from its formal ritual context, and inject it with a modern party music vibe by incorporating the vitality of world music rhythms.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Minyo Crusaders!

(gentle mystical music) (gentle music) (smooth upbeat music) (bright upbeat music) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (bright upbeat music) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (group singing in foreign language) (bright upbeat music) (frantic bright music) (upbeat drumming music) (bright upbeat music) (gentle upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat techno music) (man shouting in foreign language) - We are Minyo Crusaders!

Whoo!

We are so, so happy we can send our music from Japan to everyone in the world.

Please enjoy!

(all cheering) (upbeat music) (upbeat tapping music) (all clapping) (man cheering) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (man whoops) (bright electronic music) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (mellow upbeat music) (man singing in foreign language) (mellow upbeat music) (man whooping) (bright upbeat music) (upbeat jazzy music) (bright techno music) (upbeat music) (man singing in foreign language) (both singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (bright techno music) (dark jazzy music) (upbeat jazzy music) (upbeat big band music) (man singing in foreign language) (both singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (upbeat big band music) (all singing in foreign language) (upbeat big band music) (both singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (upbeat big band music) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (dramatic music) Thank you so much!

We are Minyo Crusaders!

Whoo!

My English is speak poor.

So I need my memo.

Sorry.

We play old Japanese folk song.

It is called min'yM.

There are many great songs in Japan.

But we don't often listen them this century.

These are work song, celebration songs, festival songs and are song of the people who live there.

Next page.

Yes, the next, Maxine.

This song is for (speaking in foreign language) with Jamaican music.

And the song is for the king of Columbia.

Respect Mitzo Miento that I met in Columbia.

Thank you!

(speaking in foreign language) We give love to Columbia!

Whoo!

(smooth jazzy music) (upbeat jazzy music) (upbeat big band music) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (upbeat big band music) (upbeat happy music) (smooth jazzy music) (man laughs) (woman singing in foreign language) (upbeat big band music) (upbeat jazzy music) (bright upbeat music) (smooth jazzy music) (man whooping) (upbeat jazzy music) (man speaking in foreign language) (upbeat drumming music) (bright jazzy music) (upbeat big band music) (smooth techno music) (bright jazzy music) (bright techno music) (woman singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (woman singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (bright upbeat music) (dramatic jazzy music) (bright jazzy music) (woman singing in foreign language) (bright jazzy music) (woman singing in foreign language) (bright upbeat music) (bright techno music) (upbeat music) (upbeat techno music) Thank you (peaking in foreign language)!

We are Minyo Crusaders!

Yeah!

Thank you very much for enjoying our music and performance today.

The last song is a "Fisherman Song" sung by So-ran Bushi!

(dramatic jazzy music) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (both singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (woman singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (both singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (bright jazzy music) (man singing in foreign language) (dramatic jazzy music) (smooth jazzy music) (smooth jazzy music) (dramatic music) (woman speaking in foreign language) (dramatic jazzy music) (bright jazzy music) (both singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (man speaking in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (man singing in foreign language) (all singing in foreign language) (upbeat jazzy music) (all singing in foreign language) - Yeah!

- Yeah!

(all laughing) (bright music)