Derek Gripper and Hiroya Tsukamoto on the Village Green tomorrow

||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER |||

Get ready for a special double bill of international guitar rhythms on the Village Green. It all starts this Sunday, July 9 at 6pm as part of the FREE Summer Concert Series presented by Orcas Center, OrcaSong Farm, Country Corner, and The Outlook Inn.

In this world of many guitarists and many musicians, Cape Town guitarist Derek Gripper stands apart, as the only guitarist in the world to have mastered the technique of the West African 21 string harp, the kora, on a classical guitar. This would have been a big achievement, but Derek’s musical influences and musical loves extend beyond the realm of translation, into another vision: to create a language of improvisation rooted in the philosophy of African music, drawing on music from beyond Africa, a global music reflecting the global nature of musical dissemination in the twenty-first century.

Hiroya Tsukamoto is an innovative guitarist and composer who fuses folk, jazz, and world music. Tsukamoto’s instrumental abilities are indeed breathtaking and astounding, but his performances are so much more than that. He has the unique capability of engaging an audience thru a personable and genuine approach that transfixes his audience and almost transcends his capabilities as a guitarist. Audience members will be mesmerized as Tsukamoto plays with an effortless skill.

Orcas Center’s Summer Concert Series on the Village Green is FREE thanks to donations from local businesses including Girl Meets Dirt and Gudgell Properties, LLC. More information and full concert lineup can be found at www.OrcasCenter.org.