CRS is honored to introduce artist Asuca Hayashi to America. Asuca burst onto the scene Japan at age 13 with the powerful voice and emotional range of a mature artist. She became an instant star, her hit singles appearing on major movie and TV soundtracks and commercials. Takako Hatanaka will accompany her on keyboard.
Sharing the bill is another outstanding talent, Jazz/R&B vocalist & pianist Efacho Okeke. Jazz legend Randy Weston says, "She is certainly one of our up and coming stars."
It's really a unique opportunity to hear two singers like Asuca and Efacho in an intimate place like CRS!
Location: CRS (Center for Remembering & Sharing)
123 4th Ave, 2nd FL (between 12th & 13th streets)
New York, NY 10003
info: 212-677-8621 • tickets: 212-352-3101
4/5/6, N/R/Q, or L train to Union Square
About Asuca Hayashi
Born and raised in Osaka, Asuca became a performer after her piano teacher sent a tape of her singing to a music producer, and that contact resulted in her being signed to Toshiba-EMI. Jaws dropped when Asuca began singing at Toshiba-EMI's Music Talks showcase event in Tokyo in late 2002. Just 13 at the time, she displayed an amazingly mature, almost husky voice and a confident, charismatic onstage persona. Among those who saw her "Music Talks" performance was EMI Southeast Asia boss Norman Cheng, who decided she would appeal to Asian music fans outside of Japan and so arranged to have her perform at the after-show concert at the ninth Channel V Chinese Music Awards in Shanghai on Jan. 19, 2003.
Asuca's music is very much in the R&B/pop-fusion vein of artists such as Hikaru Utada. Her debut single, "Ake-kaze (Morning Wind)", which peaked at No. 14 on the Oricon singles chart, was released on Jan. 22, 2003, in both Japan and Taiwan. "Ake-kaze" — which was used as the theme song for a rice-cooker TV commercial — is a vocal tour-de-force, with Asuca hitting some very low notes before zooming up a couple of octaves for some piercing high notes. Her first album, the very impressive and assured Saku, was released in May 2003 in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China. In March 2004 Asuca was one of the recipients of the New Artist of the Year award at the Recording Industry Association of Japan's Gold Disc Awards ceremony. Her hit song "Chiisaki Mono" or "Make a Wish" (English Version) was used in the sixth Pokémon movie, Jirachi Wishmaker (Japanese: Nanayo no Negai Boshi; literally "Wishing Star of Seven Nights"). Other notable songs include "Hitotsubu no Tane ~Love the Earth~", "Snowdrop", "Jibun Shinjite" and "Mou Ichido Anata ni Aitai." Asuca has since recorded in both Japanese and Chinese, collaborating with Chinese instrumentalist Chen Min on the single, "Tsubane ni Naritai."
Born in Nigeria and raised in New York, Efacho Okeke is truly an international Entertainer. A virtuoso pianist trained in classical and jazz, she also has a warm, enchanting voice. Efacho began studying classical piano at age 10. At age 15 she began studying jazz as well. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Biology, she decided to defer admission to medical school to attend the New School Jazz program in New York. Since then she has appeared in major jazz clubs in New York City including the Blue Note, Birdland, and the Cotton Club and has played with trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, Charli Persip's Big Band, tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, and alto saxophonist/ flautist James Spaulding. Her smooth jazz vocals, and impeccable piano playing captivated audiences in Japan in 2000. In 2003 and 2005 she was invited to return to Japan for delightful one month engagements. Her credits also include leading the all-female sextet "Jazz Essence" which received rave reviews when they opened for Etta Jones and Houston Person at the Schomburg Center.
CRS (Center for Remembering & Sharing) is a community center opened in 2004 to provide artists and individuals from all walks of life with opportunities to remember and share their boundless creative energies. Through our programs in the healing and creative arts, including meditation and A Course in Miracles, you can train your mind to act in accordance with your true self with consistency and to take active steps to follow your internal creative direction.
The Center for Remembering & Sharing is a member of the Asian American Arts Alliance
, A.R.T./New York
, Dance Theatre Workshop (DTW)
, and The Field
, and has received support from CRS, Doggy’s World, The Ella Lyman Cabot Trust, the Jim Henson Foundation, the Puffin Foundation
, Materials for the Arts
, the J P Morgan Chase SOAR Program of the Asian American Arts Alliance, the Queens Council on the Arts, and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by New York City Dept of Cultural Affairs and administered by the LMCC
.
Born in Nigeria and raised in New York, Efacho Okeke is truly an international Entertainer. A virtuoso pianist trained in classical and jazz, she also has a warm, enchanting voice. Efacho began studying classical piano at age 10. At age 15 she began studying jazz as well. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Biology, she decided to defer admission to medical school to attend the New School Jazz program in New York. Since then she has appeared in major jazz clubs in New York City including the Blue Note, Birdland, and the Cotton Club and has played with trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, Charli Persip's Big Band, tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, and alto saxophonist/ flautist James Spaulding. Her smooth jazz vocals, and impeccable piano playing captivated audiences in Japan in 2000. In 2003 and 2005 she was invited to return to Japan for delightful one month engagements. Her credits also include leading the all-female sextet "Jazz Essence" which received rave reviews when they opened for Etta Jones and Houston Person at the Schomburg Center. 
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