One of New York’s most beloved and accessible festivals, SummerStage, a free outdoor performing arts festival, has existed since nearly 40 years ago, Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe, Herbie Hancock, The Roots, Jay-Z, and Nas were among the legendary performers, with more than 7 million attendance that people from New York City and around the world, SummerStage had an incredible lineup of performances by artists in a range of musical styles, including salsa, jazz, hip-hop, indie rock, dance, opera, pop, and soul, the festival plays a vital role in reflecting the cultural diversity of New York City.
The event on September 14th brought together five Japanese artists who have different styles and backgrounds. BIGYUKI, transforms the piano into an orchestra of acoustic and electronic textures, U-LEE, a DJ who is highly respected for his outstanding skills are just a few of the talented musicians who have made a name for themselves in Japan and abroad. JP THE WAVY and OZworld also brought powerful energy to the unforgettable stage. Those artists with diverse styles and backgrounds, they came together to deliver a breathtaking performance that overwhelmed the audience.
For Awich, Okinawa is her hometown, her love of hip-hop started at an English conversation class at the U.S. military base, and her biggest revelation was listening to the 2Pac’s album “All Eyes On Me” which started her love and fascination for hip-hop. Feeling inspired, she purchased a one way ticket to the U.S. to pursue her study. While in her academic experience in Atlanta, she was met with surprise and genuine love of her now deceased husband. They eventually tied the knot, and had a child together.
But what’s engaging about her unrelenting spirits kept igniting her voice of the voiceless through hip-hop while she’s raising her daughter back in Okinawa, In 2017, she released the album ‘8’, fully produced by Chaki Zulu, as a member of the hip-hop crew YENTOWN. In 2018, she digitally released two EPs, ‘BEAT’ and ‘HEART’ and now one of Japan’s top female rappers. Furthermore, in 2025, she released singles like ‘Butcher Shop’ and ‘Wax on Wax Off’, produced by RZA, the renowned leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, and is now expanding her reach into the world.
In bright sunny day, Rumsey Playfield is where concerts take place in Central Park during the summer time, the stage shimmered with multicolored lights, and the comfortable seating offered a pleasant breeze on summer nights. Suddenly, the stage was illuminated by red lights and greeted us with the arrival of the Okinawan Queen of Japanese Rap, Awich transported us to a different world.
The audience was waving their hands mimicking Awich, while moving in unison with the rhythm of the song, ‘Remember.’ Her songs radiated a distinct “Representing Okinawa” vibe, and I was overwhelmed by her style and her prowess—which captured her current momentum while also laying bare her struggles and inner conflicts without hiding anything, you could sense the audience feeling each verse of the lyrics in their bones, the power of revealing her bare naked soul.
The highlight of the performance was when she sang ‘Ashes’ with her daughter dancing in front of her and family footage showing in the background as a root of her hip-hop, she created her priceless expression that nothing can change the past, within her struggles, and that everything that happens is contributed to shaping her unique and original music. This would include voicing her spirits of her husband, dancing with daughter, and leaving the audience with a message of the Okinawan saying “Life is a treasure,”(命は宝). Making this an endearing mark on New York’s heart.
