BACK IN PALAU FOR 4 DAYS
The
multi-talented musician, Mr. Yoshiharu Kurata, right, is the music
partner of Roberto Hernandez for almost 2 years. Having performed at
Palau Pacific Resort, Palau Royal Resort, Airai View Hotel, Rip Tide,
Tototo (Mingles), Rose Garden Resort, Palm Bay Bistro, Pentecostal
Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale, and Kramer's Cafe.
Mr. Kurata stayed in Palau for 4 days only but they were able to
performed at The Taj on Sat., August 29, 2015 from 8:30-10:00 pm and at
the 10th Anniversary of PMCC on the next day, Aug. 30, 2015.
(Photo by Yoshiharu Kurata)
MR. KURATA IS BACK!
Performed with Roberto at
The Taj
and
Pentecostal Missionary Church of
Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale's
10th Anniversary and
Thanksgiving
MR.
YOSHIHARU Kurata was introduced to me by Mr. Tadaharu Namoto, in late
2012 at Palau Royal Resort. When he talked to me at that time, I thought
he wants me to teach him how to play piano. I didn't know that he is a
very multi-talented musician that can play saxophone, ocarina, guitar,
quena, keyboard and flute. He can sing also Spanish and Venezuelan
songs.
Before my music partnership with Mr. Kurata, I featured the Namota family in my Music and Me column.
THE NAMOTO FAMILY AT PRR
From
left, Roberto Hernandez, resident musician of Palau Royal Resort, Mr.
Tadaharu Namoto, his daughter Chihiro and his wife Chiyoko. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE BOTTLE OF SHOCHU.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
OKAMA BIN LADEN
IN EARLY 2005, I and my wife Flor
are always assigned at Café Olei at the departure area of Palau International
Airport. It is only operating when there are departing flights to Manila,
Taipei and Japan.
One
night when there is a chartered flight of Japan Airlines going to Narita
airport, there are Japanese sitting at the bar of Café Olei. I’m talking to
them in English and they answered me in Japanese. I know a little Nihongo so
sometimes I answered them in ‘broken’ Japanese.
I
noticed that one of them is gay or okama in Japanese language. When the
conversation was focused on him/her, I suggested or teased him with these
words: “Tabon kare no namae wa “Okama Bin Laden” which means maybe we call his
name as “Okama Bin Laden”. A loud laughter ensued. They thought that I can
really speak Japanese.
WHAT
HAPPENED NEXT IS “COINCIDENCE, FUNNY OR LUCKY”.
The
guy who is sitting next to a middle-aged, skinny woman talk for about a minute
all in deep Japanese language that I understand only 3% of it. As he is
talking, I’m prepared to say what I would respond –“wakaranai”. It means “I
don’t know”.
When
he finished talking, he asked me a question which I don’t understand also so I
just replied “wakaranai”. THE MIDDLE-AGED, SKINNY LADY IS VERY FURIOUS WITH MY
ANSWER.
A
few hours after they left, I realized why she is “furious” because of the way I
said “wakaranai”. The guy is asking me, “If you are sure that Okama Bin Laden
is gay, what do you think of this lady beside me?”
The
way I said “wakaranai” is indicating that I’m not sure if she is really a
woman! What I want to say is that “I don’t understand what you have said”.
There is loud laughter after I said that from all of them but not from that
skinny woman, although ‘furious’ but smiling.
GOMEN NASAI. (I’M SORRY).
At
Café Olei also that I was able to ask a young Japanese couple the Romaji title
of “Oribia Okikinagara”, a very popular song among middle-aged Japanese.
One
day I’m operating karaoke at Image Restaurant in 2005, a lone, Japanese lady is
singing Japanese songs with a few laser discs of Japanese songs that we had at
that time. Alternating with her, I also sang some songs like “Itoshino Elly”
which she thought I can speak and read Japanese alphabet. Those Japanese songs laser
discs are all written in Katakana, Hirakana and Kanji. Because I’ve memorized
the Japanese lyrics of “Itoshino Elly”, she thought that when I'm looking at TV,
I’m reading the Japanese characters.
Those
laser discs Japanese titles were ‘marked’ by me so that I know where to look
for titles written in Japanese. Like when Papa san and Mama san or Mr. and Mrs.
Kubota of Sushi Bar Mito when they are singing Japanese songs, I will mark the
songs that they are singing with “P” for Papa san and “M” for Mama san.
When
Mama san is singing, I will look at all songs with “M” mark and “P” when Papa
san is singing. They also thought that I know how to read Japanese character
because when they come back to sing again, I know what to play already. Mama
san likes “Kawa No Nagareno Yo Ni’, “Midare Gami” and some songs that I don’t
know the Romaji translation, mostly they said “Okinawan songs”.
In
February 11, 12, 13, 14, 2007, I played for 4 nights at Palau Royal Resort
during their Valentine’s Special. I’m still working at Dragon Tei at that time.
Mama san and Papa san were guests then on Feb. 11, 2007. She knows me by face
and as a musician but she can’t remember where I used to work before. She asked
a waitress (Josephine Amutan) and she said, “That’s Robert, the former pianist
of Image Restaurant.” That’s the time that she remembered me and when she heard
me played her 2 favorite Japanese songs, she gave me $20.00 tip.
Since
then, every time they come at PRR on Tuesday evening, they always give me
$10.00 tip. Sushi Bar Mito is closed on Tuesday. One time, Mama san noticed
that I’m playing with my reading glass on. She said, “You’re wearing eye glass
now?” I said, “Yes, I’m old already.” She said, “Me also.” We’re both diabetic
with me taking a 5 mg medicine while she is having insulin already.
Last
month on a Saturday evening at Waves Restaurant, Mr. Tadaharu Namoto, a teacher
at Maris Stella School, asked me to play the song “Tsuki” or moon. He brought
the musical notes of that easy song and I was able to play it right away. He
said he will come back on Monday at 9 pm to record my playing so that he can
teach the dance steps to his students using my live performance the he will
record with his cellphone/camera.
We
recorded it with me using a piano at Waves Restaurant and a keyboard at Breeze
Bar. He came with his wife Chiyoko. They gave me a glass of red wine and a
whole bottle of shochu.
Source: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 8-9
Volume 22
Issue 11
February 07, 2013
Mr.
Kurata is a Senior Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Volunteer in Palau. An architect by profession, he's retired but can
participate in Palau marathon and even in Iron Man competition or
Triathlon at the age of 63!
When
we started our 'lessons', I have to charge him extra $3.00/hour for gas
because he's staying about 15 kilometers from Palau Royal Resort where
I'm staying at Dormitory 1.
Our
lessons is from 11:30am-12:30pm (his lunch break from Airai State
Government's Office) every Monday and Thursday. He's paying me every
Thursday $30.00 for 2 hours of 'lessons', which I can say 'jamming'
because he already knows how to play those instruments. I'm doing the
background or accompanying music with a keyboard or guitar defending on
the songs that we are playing.
One
of the most important factor in our partnership is his timing which I
have to be strict to follow. I would also suggest if the song needs to
be sung and if only instrumental. Mostly, the ad libs and intros of the
songs were done by me.
Those
2 hours a week of practice are bearing fruits as we have found our
rhythm. We will sing "Besame Mucho" with me in intro, 2 of us in singing
(me at 2nd voice) and him at the last half of the song.
In
the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads", he will play the guitar. In
"Let It Be", he will play the keyboard or grand piano at Airai View
Hotel and I will be singing it.
In
the song "My Way", he'll play the keyboard again and I'll play the
guitar. I will sing it in English, he will sing it in Spanish and we
will end with me singing it in Japanese! That's how versatile we are!
I
like it very much when we sing our finale song, the Venezuelan song
"Moliendo Cafe". The tempo is fast, the chords are challenging. He
starts with flute, in the middle of the song, he will shift to guitar
and sing it in Venezuelan language. Since I have the lyrics in front of
me, I learned to sing it with him in harmony (2nd voice). The song is 6
minutes long and the ending is swift and with emphasis.
We
have to divide our songs according to the instruments. If he will be
playing the sax, we will follow it up with ocarina as a sort of resting.
He's catching his breath sometimes because sax is not easy to play
especially the alto or tenor sax.
When
I suggest to him before, to make the last part of "Speak Softly Love"
(The Godfather's Theme), half step higher, he tried it but when we
performed it live at Airai View Hotel, one of his Japanese guy friend
criticized some inaccuracy in the part where it is play half step
higher. Since then, we never do it again.
When
we have some performance coming, he always asked me to come at least 4
times a week as preparation and we will make a list of our songs from
stage 1 to stage 3 or 4.
I
must admit that I envy his talents in so many musical instruments
especially the sax. In my early part of being hooked to music, I wished
that I could play the sax.
It
becomes a 'reality' when I worked in Bahrain for 2 years and 3 months
at Khayam Taverna (Greek Restaurant). The Yamaha keyboard that I am
using then had a sax instrument that produces a sound like original sax.
Now, my wish has somehow fulfilled because of modern technology.
Before
performing at The Taj on Aug. 29 (8:30pm-10pm), we practice for more
than an hour after lunch at Mr. Kurata's room in VIP Hotel, the same
hotel where he spent his last 2 weeks before going back to Japan after
finishing 2-year volunteer work at JICA. Just like the old days, he
still insist on paying me for the lesson/practice.
One
hour before the performance of Mr. Kurata at the 10th Anniversary and
Thanksgiving of Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch)
Palau Locale, I made a music score for the song "Amazing Grace" which is
appropriate for the occasion. Because Mr. Kurata doesn't have the music
score for it, we are planning to play "Love Me Tender" instead. During
the choir practice on the eve of the occasion, I made that music score.
The same sequence of performance like we did 2 years ago --he will play
the flute (in key of C) in the first part of the song, I will do the
instrumental of Amazing Grace while he is setting up the saxophone for
the 3rd and 4th part of the song. We will transpose to key of Eb when he
is playing the sax.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez -- Taken by Darwin Cal)
Bro.
Rolly Adducul played with his electric guitar midway in the first
stanza of Amazing Grace, knowing that there are only 3 chords in that
song. He didn't know that we will transpose it to Eb when Mr. Kurata
will use the sax. Bro. Rolly struggles with the chords in Eb so I made a
gesture for him to stop playing so that the song/performance will not
be ruined by his inaccurate chords. Four days later, I apologize to Bro.
Rolly about that while I'm dropping him off to his staff house after we
both attended the Morning Devotion on Sept. 03, 2015 from
4:30am-6:00am.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez -- Taken by Darwin Cal)
Sources: Music and Me
By Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 2013 -- September 2015
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
To be published as a book in the future
