Mi-Kuni – State/style (“Kuni”) which is yet to be born/known (“Mi-”)
A state/style being yet to be established --- in other words, being on the verge of its completion
Jujiro Maegawa is a musician and also a performer who was long in coming to the mainstream although having gained substantial supports and sympathies of cultural figures engaging in creation of stages and arts. He is a rough and tough Japanese guy singing unexpectedly fantastic songs based on Japanese myths and fables, in his original way of singing with tremolo, a Japanese folk-song technique and performing which is so unique among present-day musicians.
In the spring of 2002, creators actively working in various fields who sympathized with plays produced by Jujiro Maegawa and came to him to work together. This is the origin of Mikuni. Among them, there were a percussionist playing for distinguished musicians, a principal dancer of New National Ballet Theater, a bamboo flute player who had furthered a discipline as a musician through living a wandering life in Asian countries, a rising new video-picture creator mainly producing CM films, an actor who had impressed the audience in New York with overwhelming presence and an artist who started to show physical performances by breaking away from the wheelchair. The stage of Mikuni is created by such artists with strong personalities.
Past Performances
December 9 -11, 2002
“Runin no Uta” at ‘Grapefruit Moon’, a club at Sangenchaya, Tokyo
February 8-9, 2003
“Runin no Uta II” at ‘Space Senkawa’, a dance theater at Senkawa, Tokyo
November 20-21, 2003
“Katarai” at ‘Sasazuka Factory Theater’, a theater at Sasazuka, Tokyo
June 19-21, 2004
Joined in the 12th ChangMu International Arts Festival (invited by Seoul City of Korea)
October 21-22, 2004
Joined in Dance Selection 2004 (project subsidized by the Governmental Agency of Cultural Affairs) at Oribe Hall, a theater at Roppongi, Tokyo
December 20-21, 2004
“Mare Hito” at Meguro Persimmon Hall, a theater at Meguro, Tokyo
November 14, 2005
Performed in a project named “Tennosu ArtSphere on Monday” (concert at lunch time) at Tennosu, Tokyo
January 13-15, 2006
“Hebi Onna” at ‘Sphere Mex’, a theater at Tennosu, Tokyo
March 28-30, 2007
“Hebi Onna live act 1” at ‘Grapefruit Moon’, a club at Sangenchaya, Tokyo
December 7-9, 2007
“Hebi Onna – Genyo no Koi” at Oribe Hall, a theater at Roppongi, Tokyo (joined in the project subsidized by Japan Arts Council’s fund for art and culture promotion)
November 27-30, 2008
“Marehito/Maga” at Kichijoji Theater, a theater at Kichijoji, Tokyo
Future Vision
Since 2006, in the series of “Hebi Onna”, a contemporary work using Japanese Noh drama as its theme, we have sincerely challenged to produce stage arts by repeatedly examining, deconstructing and reconstructing Japanese culture from various perspectives with “discovery and presentation of cultural resources” as the keyword.
We will further enhance the degree of completion of “Marehito”, a work first staged in 2008, which is based on a curious work by Nobuo Origuchi, “Shisha no Sho (book by the dead)” and traditional Noh music, “Taimadera (Taima Temple)”, by pursuing every possibility of expression. And we are now working for completion of a new production, “Himawari (Sunflower)” to be presented in 2009, featuring spark of lights of the atomic bomb.
Maegawa Jujiro, organizer of Mikuni, stage producer and manager, songwriter, singer and recording engineer
Around 1987, started to release many songs as songwriter, recording engineer and producer from both major labels and independent labels. Engaged in various activities including collaborations with many unique artists, such as Kuni Kawachi (contemporary musician), Yoshino Mickey (Japanese famous organ player), Takio Ito (pioneering Japanese folk-song singer), Kyosuke Himuro (Japanese famous rock singer). In recent years, often collaborating with players of Japanese instruments (shakuhachi (five-holed bamboo flute), koto (a kind of harp) and shamisen (three-stringed lute)). And having exchanges with many stage creators including Yoko Narahashi (film director, Hollywood casting director) and Masayuki Imai (organizer of a theatrical group, stage manager and actor) and engaging in progressive activities also in the field of performing arts other than music.
1987 Released an album, “MAMAMIA” from Pan Label (label invested by S&B Food Inc.) (In name of Hideki Maegawa)
1988 Played his own work, “Star Shine” which was a musical play produced by PARCO (stage-managed by Yoko Narahashi, and played with Tetsuya Bessho, Masayuki Imai etc.)
1992 After closing an interim contract with a record maker, Sony Entertainment, concluded an artist agreement with For Life Music Entertainment Inc.
1994 Established his own label, “Guerrilla Record” and formed his own group “Shonen Guerrilla”
1995 Released an album, “Shonen Guerrilla: Kirai Demo Kike”
1997 Started live performance titled “SEX & TRADITIONAL” together with Takio Ito, an artist of modern folk music mainly at PARCO theater
1998 Joined in “chichu-mega”, an unit of joint sound production at the invitation of Kawachi Chito, a sound producer
1999 Composed a big music band named “Mammoth Show” performing with many percussions (members: Yuta Sato, Saigenji, etc.)
2002 Established his performance company, “MIKUNI”
2005 Wrote music and songs for “Bugs Guba”, performance by a dance group, Bugs Under Groove at Theater Apple
Recording by Jujiro Maegawa
1996 Engaged in songwriting of all songs, producing, VOX of “Kirai Demo Kike” by Shonen Guerrilla (from UK), (with Yuta Sato, Manabu Sakata etc.)
1997 Engaged in recording of two titles of a combination album by B.B.Q Rock (from Pony Canyon) (playing own works in name of Echizenya Hideki/Shonen Guerrilla)
2000 Engaged in joint producing and collaboration of songwriting for “Wonder-Full Life” by Taichi Imanishi from Sekai Honten Record
2002 Engaged in recording and mixing of an album, “Tokyo Bugaru” by Kuni Kawachi and The Happening Four, and joined in their nationwide tour
2003 Engaged in mixing and treatment of “GINASA DONBA Recital” by Yoko Nagisa (from Sound of Elegance)
2004 Engaged in soundtrack producing of DVD, “RIDE ON BABY” by Mitsuhiro Oikawa (from VAP Inc.), and mixing of an album of Kuni Kawachi and The Happening Four (from Happenings Record)
2005 Engaged in producing, recording, mixing and engineering of an album, “FUNKEESTYLE” by IKURA (from Substance, Victor Entertainment Inc.) (all songs were written by Ken Yokoyama.)
2006 Engaged in joint songwriting, producing and mixing of two titles of an album, “LAB-Siva” (from Ego Vibe)
2007 Engaged in soundtrack producing and mixing of an original work, contemporary-version “Swan Lake” presented at a dance performance by Tani Momoko Ballet
2008 Engaged as recording engineer for a best album by Kyosuke Himuro, “Singles Compete Best”
2009 Engaged in producing of an album, “Yugen” by Katsuji Sawada, a player of Tsugaru-shamisen which is a three-stringed lute for folk-songs in the northern area of Japan
