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Mongol800 At Midi Festival: Just Enjoy the Music
Having been to countless music festivals in Japan, this was Mongol800's first time participating in a China-based music festival
 Mongol800 was sitting quietly in the band reception lounge. The vocalist, Kiyosaku Uezu, was playing on his cell phone, while the guitarist Takashi was playing the guitar attentively.
Kiyosaku said that the formation of their band was quite natural. The three members were classmates in high school, and each of them played a musical instrument--- guitar, bass and drum. They also shared the same concept of music, so they ended up forming a band which lasted for more than ten years.
Having been to countless music festivals in Japan, this was Mongol800's first time participating in a China-based music festival. They used the term "free market" to describe Midi, as Midi was like an open market which had everything; while in Japan the music festivals only have performance areas, but no area for exchanging commodities, and are therefore much simpler.
When asked about which Chinese bands or music they liked, surprisingly, the punk band Mongol800 mentioned musicians like Ma Yoyo and 12 Girls' Band, which were in either the classical or folk music genres. Kiyosaku said that those bands were quite famous in Japan, and they had a genuine Chinese flavor.
The band said the motivation for their music came from Ki Na Wa, which was their hometown and a place known for tropical sights and sunshine filled beaches. Ki Na Wa inspired the passion and energy in their music.
Apart from their hometown Ki Na Wa, Mongol800 also showed a great at concern about the eastern part of Japan which had recently seen a tremendous earthquake. Part of their touring income will be donated to those areas. They had also been to the ruined areas before Midi, and held one unplugged show to encourage and support people. A portion of the revenues from their upcoming new album will be donated as well.
At the end of the interview, Kiyosaku said sincerely: "This is our first time performing in China. It's a great opportunity. We hope that fans can fully enjoy our music." They admitted having a great time during their performance as well. When they spoke with the not-so-native Chinese on the stage to ask people to be "uplifted," we could feel their sincerity and passion.
translated by XU Lin Related MusicDish e-Journal Articles:
» Mongol800 At Midi Festival: Just Enjoy the Music (chinese version) - Having been to countless music festivals in Japan, this was Mongol800's first time participating in a China-based music festival (2011-07-09)
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