Last month, I attended an event in Tokyo called Black Gold. The project was set up by Cameron Peagler as a way to celebrate artists and creatives working in Japan. His group organizes events that establish a direct cultural exchange between those in the Japanese and Black communities as a way to create a stronger relationship between the two.
The event was held at the funky BUoY gallery in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Being there took me back to my youth in New York ¡ª to places where I might have been found reciting poetry on open mics or patronizing some underground hip-hop act¡¯s fledgling efforts. BUoY has that dilapidated cavern chic of spots in Soho or the East Village: crumbling concrete, cracked tiles, plaster hanging like stalactites from the ceiling, and even some large abandoned tubs ¡ª evidence the venue had once been a ²õ±ð²Ô³Ù¨ (public bathhouse).
The crowd was racially diverse, about a 50-50 mix of Japanese and non-Japanese, young artists and their admirers. The lineup of performers included the Osaka-based singer-songwriter French Antonio, and a producer who goes by the name Diverse and did some live finger drumming. Actually, all the acts were well-received by the crowd.
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