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When the dealers' room at Otakon opened on Friday afternoon, fans rushed
in to sample the wares. They were joined by one special person, composer
Yoko Kanno (on the right in the black dress and hat), accompanied by an
interpreter. Just like the fans, Kanno wanted to see what was on sale in
the dealers' room, especially to find what discs of hers were on sale. |
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From the smile, Kanno seemed to enjoy the experience of hundreds of
fans flocking at the dealers' tables. She walked from table to table, trying
to get a peek at the merchandise displays, but found that the (mostly taller)
fans had crowded into every inch of space at the dealers' tables. The fans
were so busy shopping that no one seemed to realize that one of the people
who drew them to attend Otakon was in their midst... |
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...but they clearly knew that Kanno was on hand an hour later, when
she gave a piano recital for the Otakon fans at the opening ceremonies,
beginning with her theme from the Vision of Escaflowne series. Kanno's
greatest joy came when she made music for the crowd, singing along with
her Escaflowne theme in a soft voice that only a few people in the front
rows could hear. Every song was welcomed with an enthusiastic standing
ovation from the Otakon crowd. |
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Joining Kanno in a performance of the theme from the new Record of
Lodoss War series was Owen Henderson, a clarinet-playing member of the
Otakon staff. |
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Kanno has a reputation of being a pop composer who uses a wide variety
of styles in her anime work. However, when she sat down for the encore
song in her Friday performance - and a few notes she played later, after
most of the crowd had left - it was clear that her heart is in American
jazz. Those who were expecting J-pop may have been surprised when they
heard an improvisation that could have been played by Earl Hines or Duke
Ellington, with a theme tossed in from George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
She brightened when the author mentioned the names "Ellington" and "Gershwin."
Members of the Otakon staff were impressed by how Kanno seemed to enjoy
all of her Otakon experience, delighted that so many people were paying
so much attention to her. |
