Interview by William Chan
Local artist Kawo aka Sushijojo 鄭家和 (referred to as Kawo hereafter) talked to the Post in an online interview last week about his upcoming performance “Live: the gradient of blue”, as one of the 17 programmes of the 22nd Macao City Fringe Festival. *
Kawo graduated from the Visual Arts Academy in New York, majoring in animation and multimedia visual arts. His works have been displayed at, and been selected for, major arts festivals, including the Ottawa International Animation Festival in Canada. He is also skilled in music production and aims to convey his creative ideas through various artistic methods.
During the interview, Kawo noted that he was a member of a wind ensemble during his school years in Macau, where he played the French horn. He then went on to study in New York, focusing on animation while being deeply influenced by the city’s music scene. “I was truly captivated by the music there, particularly black music styles such as jazz, funk, R&B, and soul. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to study music during my time in New York. However, when I moved to Taiwan, I revived my interest in music and began exploring different genres,” he said.
In Taiwan, Kawo formed BLUCOLh with his friends, where he serves as the trumpet player and singer, accompanied by keyboardists and a rhythm section. For their performance at the Fringe, they will also collaborate with two local musicians. “We will be playing songs from various genres, but our main focus is on black music styles. As the performing title suggests, our visual presentation will incorporate different shades of blue, representing water, sky, indigo, and midnight. Each colour will have two songs created specifically to capture its essence, complemented by visual arts. The musicians will also improvise under each theme,” he said. Kawo also expressed his gratitude to Ding, his video director, for providing sharp insights and contributing to the completion of the performance.
The performances will take place this Saturday at 2:45 p.m. and on Sunday at 7:45 p.m. at the Macau Cultural Centre’s (CCM) Black Box Theatre Box II. “The Black Box is an interesting and versatile venue that allows for experimentation and different performance setups. For this event, we have chosen a simpler setup with designated seats facing the performers. Ideally, we would have liked the audience to surround us, but the visual elements had to be redesigned,” Kawo noted. Nonetheless, the group aims to provide a diverse and enriching experience for the audience at the Macao City Fringe Festival, which has always been dedicated to promoting a wide range of artistic creations locally.
Tickets are priced at 120 patacas, with various discounts available. For information, visit: www.macaucityfringe.gov.mo/2024/en/event/10279
*For the festival’s details, visit: macaupostdaily.com/article20392.html
Local artist Kawo aka Sushijojo sings during a rehearsal session. – All photos provided by Kawo
Music band BLUCOLh rehearses for the upcoming performance.
