Anyango

Eriko Mukoyama, known as Anyango, is the world's first female nyatiti player.

Biography

• In 1981, Eriko Mukoyama was born in Tokyo.

• In 2001, she boarded a plane for New York to learn music. But her plane was forced to return to Japan, because the day was September 11. She then went to the Kenyan traditional music concert in Tokyo, and its beat has changed her life.

• It was not easy to play the instrument, because it had never been played by a woman. But she did not give up and tried to master it until she became the first female nyatiti player in the world.

• She has been named as an inspiration by Kenyan Suzanna Owiyo, who has taken up the nyatiti.

Activities

• In December 2005, she played to over a thousand people at the Bomas of Kenya as the first foreign performer since the independence of Kenya.

• In 2006, she had performed in ceremonies of the United Nations consecutively for three years.

• In July 2009, she was selected among "the 100 Japanese most respected people" in the Newsweek Japan.

• In September 2009, she released her first solo album titled "Nyatiti Diva."

• In May 2010, she released her second solo album titled "Horizon."

• In August 2010, she appeared on the stage at the Fuji Rock Festival, which is the largest outdoor music event in Japan.

• In December 2010, the second album "Horizon" was selected as one of "2010 CDJournal best disk 100" in CDJournal, which is the most famous music magazine in Japan.

• In February 2011, she left for France to make a new album. Sally Nyolo, who was a member of Zap Mama, produced this Album and recorded with Anyango at four places in France and Cameroon. In July, she released her CD "Koe wo Kikasete" and published a book "Motto Toku e". The book was ranked first in the music section of "Amazon Japan" . In September, she will release her third album "Teï molo".

• In August 2012, she published a book, "Anyango no Shin-Yume wo Tsukamu Hosoku", which was ranked first in the non-fiction section of "Amazon Japan". In July, she visited France and performed in Paris and Bordeaux. In October, she performed in Izumo-Taisha Grand Shrine, which is one of the most ancient shrines in Japan.

• In 2013, regular concert named "Anyango Promenade" is held in Japan. This event is also a memorial event of Kenya's 50th Independence Jubilee. In March, she performed at "Mvet Art Festival" in Strasbourg France.

• In May her interview was published in "Japan Journal", and she appeared on the cover of that issue. During her World Tour 2013, She performed in Italy, Germany, France and Kenya. She has acted a radio personality of NHK WORLD Swahili for 3 years. A documentary of Anyango "My African Music" was broadcast via NHK WORLD TV channel.

• In November 2014 she made her first appearance in Uganda at the annual Milege World Music Festival in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens as part of her 2014 East Africa Tour

Controversy, Unrequited love and Bodybuilding Forums

On January 7, 2012 an amateur bodybuilder 'MasonSS^[1]' posted a message to the misc forum of bodybuilding.com asking users to help him find a childhood friend he had lost contact with. Mason claimed the two had exchanged addresses, but had long since lost contact.

"Misc - Im calling for your help. I want to track somebody down... A group of people from Japan flew to America to visit... I was somehow paired up with this girl... I was crazy about this girl. I think she was 10-11 She was super cute... She left and flew back to Japan and we were supposed to be "pen pals" She sent me a letter... I never replied. I was in town in WA last week, and was digging through my old things at my families place. I somehow found this envelope with this letter and pictures...I want to find her.'.^[2]

After some time, a user linked a YouTube video of Anyango, noticing similarities between the photographs provided and the video. Months passed and eventually Mason managed to contact her, writing a handwritten letter with crayon - a reference to both mason and Anyango's childhood friendship.

On the 4th of February 2012, Anyango replied to 'Mason', sending a small parcel to his address in the United States. Inside was a very warm and personal hand written letter both welcoming his correspondence and inviting him to visit her at her home in Japan.

After receiving the parcel on the 1st of March 2012, Mason uploaded a picture of both the parcel and the letters to bodybuilding.com. he asked users what he should do. Days passed and mason did not reply to Anyango. Finally, on the 23rd of march, 2012, he wrote her another letter stating he would '...love to come to see' her, and that her gifts pleased him. failing to hear back from anyango, Mason contacted her again, first by post, then via email. her response was impersonal:

"Hello Mason A happy new year!! Thank you for your message. I wish you have a fantastic year!

from Eriko (Anyango) "

As it turns out, Mason was in a very serious relationship - of which to Anyango, he mentioned nothing about.

Discography

Nyatiti Diva

"Nyatiti Diva" released in September 2009, is her first album.
All tunes are acoustic sound without electric, they are traditional Luo songs arranged by Anyango.

• Title: Nyatiti Diva
• Artist: Anyango
• Released: September 20, 2009
• Label: JOWI music
• Contents:

1. Thum Nyatiti　
2. Dodo
3. Matatu ni notte　
4. Janeko / Ja Ugenya (Live at Kericho)　
5. Nabed nade gijo pinje　
6. Koblo　
7. Kimi no koe　
8. seda (Live at Siaya)　
9. Weche ng’eny　
10. Nyadundo gacha ywak pile　
11. Ne nyako ma go ogol ogol　
12. Thum mora　
13. Thum Nyatiti （Pakruok）

HORIZON

"HORIZON" released in May 2010, is Anyango’s second album.
This album has evolved in more pop and groovy as accompanied with her back band and chorus.
Some tunes are traditional Luo songs, except "Nkosi sikelel'i Afrika," arranged by Anyango, and some tunes are new songs written by her.

• Title: HORIZON
• Artist: ANYANGO
• Released: May 30, 2010
• Label: JOWI music
• Contents:

1. Nkosi sikelel'i Afrika
2. Ochieng Kochieng
3. Horizon
4. Koro aa
5. To thumno ywak kanye?
6. Kaze　～Nyatiti Tatu
7. Sweet Poison
8. Jacaranda
9. Joseph Otieno
10. Akai Daichi　　～Red Ground

References

• http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20100516x1.html
• http://www.kenyanmagazines.com/suzanna-owiyo-the-world-is-her-stage-passion-august-2010/

External links

• anyango.com