True Colors SPECIAL LIVE Artists
Artists
Ayaka Hirahara
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Debuted in 2003 with "Jupiter". She won the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist, the Japan Gold Disc Award for Best Special Award, and the Record Award for Best Album. In 2015, she established the "Ayaka Hirahara Jupiter Foundation”. She sang the national anthem at the opening match of the Rugby World Cup. She participated in the Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival "MAZEKOZE Island Tour," which was distributed worldwide. She is currently on a concert tour with her new album "Omoide ga Love Letter" which includes her new song "Kimi e".
Twitter：@AyakaHirahara1
Instagram：@ayaka_hirahara_officiall
Tik Tok：@ayaka_hirahara_official
YouTube：Ayaka Hirahara
YouTube：AYAKA HIRAHARA OFFICIAL CHANNEL
Official Site
CARAVAN Performers
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A special troupe will accompany True Colors CARAVAN – the CARAVAN performers. Led by Daiki, Japan’s first Krump dancer with dwarfism, the troupe features Kenta Kambara, a wheelchair dancer and aerial performer who performed at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games; Kanoken, a street dancer with a hearing impairment; Eri, a ballet dancer; Yusei Tekoe, a freestyle dancer; Haruki, a human beatboxer living with mosaic Down syndrome; and Keita Tokunaga, wheelchair DJ and fashion journalist. Expect different performances in each city as the troupe’s acts grow and evolve with local guest performers.
*Performing members are subject to change
True Colors CARAVAN
CARAVAN Performers
Chihiro Watanabe
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Born in 2004, Chihiro Watanabe won the first prize in the pianist lower grade division of the 2013 Helen Keller Memorial Music Competition. Her musical career began when she played John Lennon's Imagine at the Gold Concert at the Tokyo International Forum in 2016. In 2017, she competed in the Apollo Theater Amateur Night in New York City.
In 2018, NHK documentary program "Imagine There Is No 'Boundary' There" was broadcasted. At the age of 14, performed a one-man show at Shibuya eggman.
In 2019 she performed in NHK Music Festival NHK Heartful Classic. And in 2021 she performed at the closing ceremony of Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
YouTube：Chihiro Watanabe
Official Site
ILL-Abilities
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LL-Abilities ™ was created in 2007 by Montreal-based dancer/motivational speaker Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli, ILL-ABILITIES ™ to show the world that anything is possible. It’s an International Breakdance Crew comprised of eight dancers (bboy/breakers) from around the world.The crew gets its name from the standard in hip-hop culture of using a negative term to refer to something positive. The “ill” in ILL-ABILITIES ™ refers to incredible, amazing, intricate, talent. Rather than seeing the negative limitations of “disability”, this focuses on their positive, or “ill”, abilities.
Twitter：@ILLAbilities
Instagram：@ill_abilities
Official Site
Kyle Kihira
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Born in 2001. At the age of 16, Kihira graduated from Trinity College London with honors and received his diploma last year. From a young age, he started playing music by ear on the electric piano, and intuitively learned music theory. By the time he entered elementary school his drawing book was filled with scores of music. In later years of school his hyperacusis worsened but he continued to make music with the desire for people form all around the world to listen to his music.
Twitter：@kihirakylei
Instagram：@kihirakyle
YouTube： Kyle KIHIRA -a Composer Pianist-
Official Site
Little Glee Monster
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A female vocal group formed with the aim of leaving a strong impression on listeners with their extraordinary voices.
They made their major debut in 2014 with their powerful voices and crystal clear harmonies that can sing even advanced a cappella.
Their songs have been used in numerous commercials and TV programs, including "The World is Laughing at You" as the annual image song for Coca-Cola in 2018 and "ECHO" as the NHK Rugby theme song in 2019.
So far, the band has participated in NHK's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" for four consecutive years. The single "Footprints," written by the members, was selected as the theme song for the junior high school division of the NHK National School Music Contest in the 2020 and 2021 academic years.
The girls will hold an audition "M∞NSTER AUDITION" in July 2022 to recruit new members.
Twitter：@LittleGleeMonst
Instagram：@littlegleemonster_official
YouTube：LittleGleeMonsterYT
Official Site
MORIKO JAPAN
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Dancer with white cane.
He has retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease. Working as a pharmacist, he is also active in many fields of breakdance using a white cane. He aims to spread understanding of people with disabilities through his performances.
He was a backup dancer for "neo NATION Zeebra Live" and performed at the closing ceremony of "the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". Performed “Matsuken Samba II" in the 72nd "Kohaku Uta Gassen 2021"
Twitter：@BLIND_BBOY_MJ
Instagram：@blind_morikojapan
YouTube：MORIKO JAPAN / Visually impaired dancer
Showji Kawasaki
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Guitarist, born in 1967 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Although his limbs were paralyzed as a child due to the effects of an unexplained high fever, he developed a unique technique as a guitarist and won the Best Guitarist Award at a major musical instrument company contest in 1989. 2021 he performed at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics. He has been performing at live houses and various events, as well as giving talk shows at schools. He also belongs to the Nagano Prefectural Council of Social Welfare, where he promotes the rights and social participation of people with disabilities and works to develop human resources for welfare.
Twitter：@showji_kawasaki
Instagram：@showji_kawasaki
Yoshio Inoue
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Since his debut in the musical "Elisabeth" in 2000, he has starred in numerous musicals and stage productions with his high singing ability and presence. In addition to concerts and appearances on music and variety shows, in recent years he has expanded his field of activities to include serving as an MC. Major stage credits include "Guys and Dolls", "The Decapitated Prince and the Foolish Woman", "Daddy Long Legs", "Knight's Tale" and "Mozart!" TV: "Naoki Hanzawa" (TBS), NHK Taiga Drama "Onnajoshu Naotora", etc.
From 2021, he has been the host of NHK's "Haya Uta"; from April 2022, he joined NTV's "Matrix Counseling Center" as MC.
He will appear in KERA・MAP #010 "Shibirekumo" from November 2022, "Elisabeth" from January 2023, and "Jane Eyre" from March 2023.
Twitter：@inoueyoshio_co
Official Site
Yusuke Anazawa
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Violinist, viola player, arranger, and radio personality.
He has appeared on NHK for a total of 13 days in programs related to the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. He is also a monthly radio personality on NHK Radio. Born with heart and eye disabilities, he is currently totally blind. He has released 19 CDs so far. In 2014, published his first book, and in 2018, he performed at the True Colours Festival, an Asia-Pacific disability arts festival held in Singapore. He has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at the 7th Gold Concert.
Twitter：@anazawafc
YouTube：Yusuke Anazawa
Official fun club site
Panel Guest
ryuchell
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TV personality and CEO of Higa Kikaku Co., born on September 29, 1995 in Okinawa. They have attracted attention with their unique fashion style and strong character, and have appeared on many variety shows with their partner Peco.
As a father of a child, they currently have been expanding the range of appearances on programs about childcare,SDGs and other current events. Hosted NHK’s Educational TV program “High School Lecture Series: KateiSogo (Home economics)” since 2020.
ryuchell message of ‘self-esteem’ through social media has been spread widely, and in 2021 they published their first book, “If I have to live in such a world”, Currently, they have serial publications in three women’s magazines.
Official Site
MC
LiLiCo
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She is a film commentator/TV personality.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden. She has a Swedish father and a Japanese mother.
Came to Japan at the age of 18 to become a singer, and began her entertainment career in 1989.
She has appeared as a movie commentator on TBS's "King's Brunch" as well as on J-WAVE's "ALL GOOD".
She has also appeared on many programs, including J-WAVE's "ALL GOOD FRIDAY".
She is also active as a voice actor, narrator and actor.
Wentz Eiji
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He is the son of an American father and a Japanese mother.
He has been a model and actor since childhood.
After experiencing a variety of jobs, at the age of 10, he appeared for six months in The Shiki Theatre Company's production of “Beauty and the Beast”.
He appeared regularly on NHK's "Tensai Terebi-Kun" for five years until March 2000, and won the 31st "Japan Academy Prize" for Best New Actor for his role in the 2007 film "Gegege no Kitaro".
In 2018, he moved to the U.K. to study acting; he returned to Japan in 2020 after a year and a half of study and resumed his activities in earnest.
Instagram：@eiji_wentz_official
YouTube：Wentz TV [Wentz Eiji]
Official Site
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050-5541-8600 ( 9:00am -8:00 pm *Domestic call only)
Email: live@truecolorsfestival.com
