Famed Japanese Heikyoku artist Tsutomu Arao will perform the 800-year-old epic tale, accompanied by biwa. The Tale of the Heike is the greatest of all Japanese warrior tales and one of the seminal works that has shaped Japanese literature, theatre, art and film down to the present day. Heikyoku is one of the oldest Japanese traditional musical styles, similar to the troubadour music of medieval Europe. The story is about the battle between the Heike and another powerful clan, the Genji, and it ends with the total defeat of the Heike in the tragic sea battle at Dan-no- ura. Wandering troubadours, blind musicians, chanted the tale, and later poets and playwrights took inspiration from it. Arao is one of few performers who can recite the whole story in the original style from the 13th century and works to preserve the style. He has performed Heikyoku more than 900 times.
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
