Japanese composer looks for inspiration in Malta

Japanese composer Saiko Nakamura is hoping her brief visit to Malta will lead her to write Malta-inspired music as a sequel to her popular music, which had been inspired by Spain.

Born in Sapporo, an island in northern Japan, Ms Nakamura, who now lives in Tokyo, started learning the piano at the age of four.

She composed her first "very short, simple and unprofessional piece" when she was just five years old. And to her piano teacher's horror, she used to "improve" the music on the books used for her lessons by changing the melody.

She started composing seriously in high school and, being an avid film fan, most of her compositions are soundtracks. She writes mainly for independent film directors, mostly Japanese but also an American.

Her music has also been used in a worldwide advertising campaign for Panasonic video products.

Besides the piano, Ms Nakamura used to play the clarinet and in junior high school formed part of the school's brass band. She also writes choral music and her works are featured in a CD.

Ms Nakamura said her Spain-inspired music, Castanets of Spain, had been widely accepted in Japan so much so that the score, first published last December, has already been reprinted twice and her publishers have asked for a sequel inspired by another country.

She composed Castanets of Spain after a percussionist friend who loved castanets asked her to compose music featuring castanets since these were not a popular musical instrument in Japan. Her composition has changed the public image of castanets and they were now being enjoyed by people of all ages.

Hopefully, Ms Nakamura said, she will find enough to inspire her in Malta to write music with a Malta link when she returns home tomorrow.

"Malta is quite unknown in Japan and my music will hopefully serve as a cultural bridge between the two countries making the Japanese more aware of this Mediterranean island."

She said that like most Japanese, she had no knowledge of the existence of Malta until only a few months ago. But she saw pictures and information about the island at a coffee shop in Tokyo - Art Coffee Malta Coffee House, a coffee shop inspired by the owner's one-day visit to Malta and which has the Maltese islands reflected in its décor and is full of Malta brochures.

Soon after the visit to the coffee shop, Ms Nakamura happened to watch a quiz programme on Japanese television called Amazing World Discoveries which featured Malta's history, its mysterious past and beautiful scenery.

The 28-year-old composer said she was "stunned" by the beauty of Malta and decided to come here to try to follow up her music from Spain with music from Malta.

She arrived last Thursday and has been to Valletta and Gozo and gone on several sightseeing tours.

"Although I have seen a lot of world heritage during my brief visit, your biggest and most important heritage are the Maltese people.

"They are friendly and kind and the country is safe. Keep it safe and friendly," she advised.

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