INDEX
Performing with Frente Cumbiero in Colombia
The second half of the film shows a record of the world tour that began in 2019 and traveled to various countries. The emphasis is on the days spent in Colombia. The encounter with Frente Cumbiero in Colombia is probably the highlight of the entire film.
Frente Cumbiero is a band based in Bogota, Colombia, that brings traditional cumbia music to the modern age. They just performed together at Shibuya WWW at the end of August this year.
The scene of them recording “Folk Song Cumbielo” in Colombia is breathtaking. They rehearse while sharing ideas with each other. The resulting music and performance resonate with the images of the Colombian cityscape. The animation and the visuals are overwhelming.
It seems miraculous that two bands revitalizing the traditional music of Japan and Colombia should meet and create a joint work, but it is clear from the interview with Mario Galeano of Frente that this is no outlandish feat. The recordings in Colombia show that the vision and activities of the Minyo Crusaders, who present traditional music in a new way, can be connected to the scene not only in Japan but also in other countries around the world.
In Colombia, the film is impressive not only in the way they perform, but also in the way it shows a small club that plays cumbia records. The small gestures and expressions of the local people dancing there and the members of the Minyo Crusaders show the depth of time the filmmakers spent with the musicians, as well as their understanding and love of the music itself. This attitude can be seen throughout the film.
Of course, the main character is the Minyo Crusaders, but it is a film that makes us imagine the past and present of folk songs and traditional music, and the expansion of such music.
BRING MINYO BACK!
Producer / Director / Cinematographer / Editor: Yuji Moriwaki
Cast: Minyo Crusaders, Frente Cumbiero, Peter Barakan, Makoto Kubota, Yuichi Kishino, Hajime Oishi, Moto Chitose, Rhythm Mountain Range, Tokyo Cuban Boys, Kodelanny
2022/Japan/90 min/16:9/color/stereo
Distributor: ALFAZBET
Official website: https://www.bringminyoback.com
Opening in theaters nationwide on September 15 (Fri.) at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya and other venues.
Opening Event
9/16 (Sat.) 18:30 Mini-Live after the screening (Live & Bon Dance)
Live: Minyo Crusaders (Special Unplugged Set) with Bon Dance)
9/17 (Sun) 18:30 Post-screening Talk Show
Speakers:Katsumi Tanaka(Minyo Crusaders), Hajime Oishi, Yuji Moriwaki(Director of the film)
9/25 (Mon) 18:30 Post-screening
Speakers: Peter Barakan, Freddy Tsukamoto (Minyo Crusaders), Katsumi Tanaka (Minyo Crusaders)
Tanaka Katsumi (Minyo Crusaders), Moriwaki Yuji (director of the same film)
