Special event on April 6: Keiko Whitlock

Special Event at OLLI at UNLV!!

It will be amazing!!

We have a tea ceremony first,

and I will sing "Yoitomake no uta" and the Japanese anthem, Kimigayo a cappella as a half time show, and then we will have Geisha dance performance!!

Bunch of Geishas will visit OLLI on this day!!

I will wear Kimono too.

The following is "yoitomake no uta" and its lyrics.

This is an awesome song!!

Boy had a yoitomake mom, a construction worker. Bullied and ridiculed for being poor. Happens to see her working at the construction site, dripping sweat and enduring pain for the sake of family. Vows never to complain and work hard at school. Now remembers, as an adult, her, now dead, declaring she was the best in the world, nobody could compare with her, how he's proud of her, how he loves her. Makes me cry."

Makes me cry too. And I think Miwas voice is awesome! No wonder Mishima adored Miwa. Of course you need to check out the young Miwa to really understand. So stunning! Apparently Lovin is a huge fan and I'm sure he's not the only one.

"For the sake of my husband, heave-ho!"
"For the sake of my child, heave-ho!"
"One more time,heave-ho!"
"One more time,heave-ho!"

Still, this song's coming to me, Yoitomake no Uta",
Day laborer song, that's my lullaby song.
In the lunch time at the construction site,
When I smoke with my eyes closed,
This song comes up to my mind, Yoitomake no Uta,
Day laborer's song, that's for poor workers.

When I went to an elementary school, 　　
Everybody says "Hey you! day laborer's son of bitch".
I was always bullied and teased terribly.
In my mortification with tears,
I run away from the classroom.
Being crying on my way home,
I saw my mother working hard.
I saw my mother working hard.

With a towel around head, covered with mud,
Deeply tanned, in the sweat of her brow,
Together with laborers, she was pulling a rope,
Looking upwards and singing repeatedly
In tune at the top of her lungs.
I saw my mother working hard.
I saw my mother working hard.

I was running to my house in a hurry,
Wishing to be cheered up and hugged by my mother,
But when I saw my mother working hard,
I gave up weeping and forgot all the bullying.
Then I went back to school.
Mumbling away to myself "I swear Mam to study hard".
Mumbling away to myself "I swear Mam to study hard".

How many years has it been passed since then?
I graduated at high school and finished university, too.
Nowadays, it's an age of machinery.
Further, I've become an IT engineer.
Look at me! Mam, who died after many hard works.
Look at my job, Mam! my brave figure, Mam!

I was sometimes on the verge of going astray,
But finally I stayed on the right track.
Than any other beautiful songs,
Than any other beautiful voices,
My mother's song was more encouraging and consoled me.
My mother's song is certainly the best in the world.
My mother's song is indeed the best in the world.

Now this song reminds me of that Yoitomake no Uta,
Day laborer song, that's my lullaby song.
"For the sake of my husband, heave-ho!"
"For the sake of my child, heave-ho!"
"One more time,heave-ho!"
"One more time,heave-ho!"