Music as a bridge between cultures, but also as a tool to remember who we are. This is the proposal of Shogo Yoshii, a Japanese composer, performer, and artistic director who will be in Zaragoza on May 12 with Earth Voice – The Voice of the Earth, a show that transcends the conventional concert to become a sensory and reflective experience.
The event will take place at the Delicias Civic Center, where the artist, with a solid international career and a former member of the prestigious Kodō ensemble, will unveil a sound universe that connects Japanese tradition and contemporary sensitivity.
“Traditional songs are the voice of the Earth that we have forgotten to listen to,” explains Yoshii to Go Aragón, whose proposal stems precisely from that need for reconnection. His project draws from the cultural roots of Japan, where music was not only an artistic expression but also a means of social cohesion and relationship with the environment.
A music born from nature
Raised between Tokyo and Yokohama, Yoshii had a childhood marked by contact with nature. However, it was in his youth that he became aware of its fragility. “I felt a deep sadness seeing how it was disappearing. That’s when I understood that I wanted to live as part of it,” he recounts.
This decision led him to leave the city and move to Sado Island, where he worked in the fields and redefined his relationship with the world. Since then, his artistic journey has been permeated by a central idea: art cannot be disconnected from environmental awareness.
In Earth Voice, this philosophy translates into a staging where each element has a natural origin. Wooden and skin drums, bamboo flutes, or string instruments made with silk and organic materials compose a sonic architecture that refers to the essential.
Tradition, memory, and global sound
The show combines instruments such as taiko drums, the shinobue flute, or the kokyū, played by Yoshii himself, with other characteristic sounds like the sanshin or rokushin. This is complemented by the participation of young percussionists who bring energy and depth, evoking traditional Japanese festivals.
Far from proposing a cultural exhibition exercise, Yoshii insists on the universality of the musical language: “We do not seek to present Japanese music as something exotic, but for the audience to feel that, despite our differences, we are fundamentally the same.” The result is an immersive experience where sound and silence also act as a bridge between cultures and sensitivities.
A European tour with a key stop in Zaragoza
The concert in the Aragonese capital will be one of the first dates of his European tour, which will start in Switzerland and continue to cities such as Barcelona, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt. Specifically, it will be the second stop. Behind this event is the mediation of Zaragoza-based Beatriz Ruiz Fernández, a percussionist linked to taiko and a collaborator in managing the tour. “It is a unique opportunity. It is not common to see such a proposal in Spain, combining percussion, singing, and traditional instruments with this depth,” she explains from Germany, where she resides.
Ruiz highlights the innovative character of the show within the music scene: “In Spain, we have seen Japanese percussion groups, but Shogo’s approach, with that direct connection to nature and tradition, is different.”
Music as a tool for empathy
Beyond the stage, Earth Voice presents a deeper reflection. For Yoshii, music has historically been a key element for social cohesion: “It fosters empathy, unites people, and helps coexist, even in difficult environments.” His proposal seeks not so much intellectual understanding as an emotional experience. “There is no need to analyze the music. If you simply feel it, it can awaken a memory, something that is already within us,” he asserts.
This idea connects with the Japanese concept of jinen, which refers to the natural in its purest state, without intervention. A philosophy that permeates the entire show and which the artist aspires to activate in the audience. In a global context marked by disconnection from the environment, Yoshii issues a clear invitation: “Live in harmony with nature, recognize differences, and expand our circle of empathy.” On May 12, Zaragoza will be one of the stages where that “voice of the Earth” can be heard. And perhaps, also remembered.
