Charan-Po-Rantan: a show not to be missed! But we did!

At Co-op Radio last night Brady from Soundscapes told me about this band she’d just seen in town.  WHY DIDN’T WE KNOW ABOUT THIS SHOW?  I’m upset that I missed it, and more upset that we didn’t get to tell others that they could go.  I gather it was sold out and totally fun, but I’d like my friends to get to have total fun, rather than some strangers.  Maybe they’ll get into accordion really hard and become our friends and then it will be alright.  Still, very sad we missed it.

Check it out:  Charan-Po Rantan, 

They were in Vancouver as the last stop of the amazing sounding Next Music from Tokyo festival.

We will have to learn more about these folks to get them on Accordion Noir.  Maybe someday they’ll be back in town and we’ll hear about it in time!

チャラン・ポ・ランタン (Charan-Po-Rantan) is made up of two sisters: vocalist Momo (19yo) and Koharu (23yo) on accordian/chorus.

Koharu recalls that she was born playing the accordian which made labour and delivery quite painful for her mom.  Another legend states that Koharu was 7 years old while at the circus when her eyes met that of an accordion player.  It was love at first sight and sound and Koharu knew then and there that playing the accordion would be her “raison d’être.”  Young Koharu wrote Santa Claus for an accordion and being a good little girl she was presented with one at Christmas.  Presently, Koharu is a world-class, internationally acclaimed accordion player. Almost as formidable as her prowess on accordion is Koharu’s razor sharp wit. Koharu’s story-telling and comedic banter during emcee breaks is frequently the highlight of Charan-Po-Rantan’s shows.

Are you as jealous as I am of the folks who got to this?  There’s a swell interview with them here with links and discography.

The background from Next Music:

Japanese culture is ubiquitous in major cities across Canada with its popularity apparent in areas such as food/cuisine, fashion, video games and technology.  But Japanese music gets little to no recognition at all.  Which is unfortunate sinceTokyo secretly harbors what is arguably the most exciting music scene in the world.  Compared to their North American counterparts Japanese musicians tend to be more adventurous when it comes to song-writing and especially live performances.  Females also play a much more prominent role on-stage, in the audience and as sound technicians.

Tokyo’s independent and underground music scene has an ebullient energy and freshness that is highly addictive and without peer.  Tourists visit Japan to feast on sushi and ramen, sightsee at temples and spas and enjoy the weirdness of capsule-hotels and maid-cafes.  Yes, the food is awesome, but to visit Tokyo and not spend a night watching a show at a tiny live-house in Koenji or Shimokitazawa is to miss out on one of the best experiences Japan has to offer.

Next Music from Tokyo is a non-profit, one-of-a-kind tour transporting the audience on a virtual trip to a gig in Tokyo’s underground live house scene.