What started off as a request for for me to record a video message in support of Japanese earthquake victims and a special benefit concert at The Bottom Line in Nagoya Japan, has turned into my actually going there to perform!

A few weeks after the earthquake there was a photo that came up on my computer ‘news’ page of a 75 yr old farmer, Kunio Shiga, stranded and alone, sitting amongst the debris of his home four weeks after the deadly Tsunami had ripped through his village Minami Soma, and his homeland. It made me cry like so many of the devastating images I had seen every day, but for some reason this image stayed with me. I remember the headline well: ‘Stranded and Alone’.

Then shortly after, I was approached by Kink Kume, a LONG TIME friend who was organizing a benefit show in Nagoya to raise funds for the Japanese people affected by this terrible disaster! My mind immediately went back to when Renaissance performed in Japan last August, and as always, we were greeted so warmly by our Japanese fans.

This is a perfect opportunity to give something of myself for no other reason than to give my time and support in song and art. So, I am looking forward to this very special week in my life that I know will be memorable in many ways…

I will be singing accompanied by Japanese musicians and am also taking some paintings to auction. The show is ‘Music Saves’ Benefit for Japan’, June 19th 2011. It will be ‘streamed’ online at Ustream at:

2:00 PM – 9:30 PM Japan time, June 19th 2011
1:00 am – 8:30 am EST, USA on June 19th 2011

I will be singing some time between 7:40 am to 9:10 am EDT. If you miss it, it will be in the ‘Ustream’ archive section

♥ Annie