The University of Alabama at Birmingham

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

UAB Jemison Lecture Series

CHOKO KIMURA AIKEN

Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Keyboardist, Vocalist

Thursday, November 15, 2018 – 2:00-3:00

Hulsey Recital Hall

Hulsey Center: 950 13th St S, Birmingham, AL 35205

Event Description: A Piano Event Encounter with Japanese Music

Autumn songs, Japanese nursery rhymes, Japanese/American anime songs
Choko Kimura Aiken will introduce traditional and contemporary Japanese music by focusing on differences between US and Japanese customs and cultures.

About Choko Aiken

Choko was born and raised in Japan and began studying classical piano at the age of three and later piano, violin, voice, and music theory at colleges in Tokyo and Fukuoka as well as traveling to the United States to study jazz in Los Angeles and New York. Her “Imagination” album, made in Los Angeles in 2011, was featured in that year’s February issue of JAZZIZ magazine. Choko has also performed many genres in Japan, including jazz, salsa, latin, classical, gospel, and pop. She left her long-time group Tri-Voices and other bands to relocate to Birmingham in January 2013. Since that time, Choko has enjoyed playing in the Magic City at many of its local venues, including the 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, Moss Rock Festival, Creek Bank Festival, Mt. Brook Arts Festival, and Eric Essix Jazz Escape. She has been Guest Pianist at the 2015 Supper Jazz Concert, 2016 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, and 2017 Jazz in the Park. She looks forward to continuing with her main goal of simply making people happy with her music. For more information, please see: https://www.chokoaiken.com

This event is free and open to the public
Sponsored by the Jemison Visiting Professorship in the Humanities