The end of March was chock-full of Japanese sights, sounds and tastes. While the first night of the Nobu Experience was held at Strawberry Hill, Irish Town, there was too, an invitation to welcome the Japanese jazz fusion trio, Ensemble Otodama, at the residence of the Japanese ambassador, Hiroshi Yamaguchi.

Founded by Ryoji Yamaguchi, son of the ambassador, Ensemble Otodama is a collaboration of musicians showcasing seasonal classical and jazz scores from, or influenced by, Japanese, Latin American, and other cultures. In this group, guitarist Ryoji Yamaguchi, bassist Erika Sato, and percussionist Takashi Kaneko perform arrangements of traditional Japanese folk music, as well as original works that the members have composed. The ensemble, which played at the Jazz and Blues Festival in 2007, performed a few numbers from their repetoire to give guests a taste of what was in store for patrons who planned to attend their concerts in Jamaica.

After dinner, with musical talents present like Orville Hammond, Myrna Hague, Peter and Rosina Ashbourne, Keith Lyn, Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, Karen Smith, Rolando Brown, Samuele Vivian and the members of Ensemble Otodama, something very magical was about to happen and it did.

Keith Lyn started the improvision with a few old favourites. Next up was the distinctive voice of Myrna Hague with a rendition of Our Love is Here to Stay, ending the night with Many Rivers to Cross as she did at the Wednesday night concert at The Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts. At the end of the dinner, there was no doubt that sweet music was created in the living room of Ambassador Hiroshi Yamaguchi and Mrs Yoko Yamaguci.