Here’s a transcript of CBC Radio One’s interview with Joy Kogawa about the Kogawa House project from my friend Ann-Marie Metten - also a coordinator for the Save Kogawa House campaign. ~~~ To her great pleasure the interview was broadcast twice on Boxing Day, first in the morning at 10 a.m., accompanying a half-hour interview with Leslie Uyeda - the artistic director of Vancouver Opera’s Naomi’s Road school program and the composer of music inspired by the haiku written as part of the Vancouver Public Library’s program to promote Obasan as the 2005 One Book One Vancouver choice. The interview with Joy Kogawa was also rebroadcast later in the day, on “Night Time Review” at 8 p.m. ~~~~~~    more »

Redress: The book by Roy Miki - addressing racial identity and its consequences

It's Boxing Day morning at Kalamalka Lake, and I am not at any Boxing Day sales in Vancouver. I am reading Roy Miki's book Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadian redress movement. Roy is an amazing person. In 1994 I interviewed him for an article in the Simon Fraser University student newspaper "The Peak".

I am stunned by the atrocities and restrictions placed on the Canadians of Japanese descent, even though I have read many accounts. I nod knowingly when I read that Asian Canadians were "racialized" in the 1900's - particularly by the Anti-Asiastic League who wanted to create and maintain a "white Vancouver" despite the presence of First Nations peoples. I read about the 1907 meeting at City Hall, that erupted into a riot in Chinatown, where stores were attacked and damaged, before the white rioters headed to Japantown where they were repelled by a prepared community.

This was the Vancouver where my maternal grandmother was raised, soon after being born in 1910 in Victoria BC. This was the political and social climate where my paternal grandfather was given a "Chinaman's Chance" of defending a non-guilty plea for drug trafficking, because the RCMP wanted to make an example of him as one of Victoria's top community leaders that they could "take down." This was the BC, where the $500 head tax was only applied to ethnic Chinese in an effort to keep "the Yellow Peril" away from "British" Vancouver, where the early city fathers, provincial fathers and leaders of Canadian Federation had emmigrated from Scotland and England, seeking a better life.... just as the Chinese had, leaving behind a corrupt Imperial government, famines, to come to "Gum San" - the gold mountain of opportunity.

In the first chapeter of Redress, Roy Miki tells the story of Tomekichi (Tomey) Homma "naturalized as a British Subject" in Canada, who tried to have his name put on the voter's list, but was turned down no doubt, because of the stipulation in Section 8 of the Provincial Election Act which stated: "No Chinaman, Japanese, or Indian shall have his name placed on the Register of Voters for any Electoral District, or be entitled to vote in any election."

Homma decided to challange the ruling on October 19th, 1900, but was eventurally denied by a lengthy court case and both the BC and Canadian governments. The Privy council at the time had stated that "Orientals... were so inassimilable that they were incapable of participating in the democratic process." (Miki, p. 33-34)

The Victoria Times Colonist newspaper at the time had written "We are relieved from the possibility of having polling booths swampd by a horde of Orientals who are totally uniftted either by custom of education to exercise the ballot, and whose voting would completely demoralise politics... they have not the remotest idea of what a democratic and representative government is, and are quite incapable of taking part in it." (Miki, p 28)

My great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan, was educated at the Wesleyan Mission in Hong Kong, and arrived in Canada in 1896, following his elder brother the Rev. Chan Sing Kai - the first Chinese ordained in Canada. The Chinese Methodist Church helped teach the Chinese immigrants how to speak English. A favourite story that my grandmother tells me is that her granfather would tell his family, "We are in Canada now - we should do things the Canadian way." In every generation of his 6 descendants in Canada, there have been inter-racial marriages with Caucasians. In fact, descendants in the 6th and 7th generation are now only 1/4 and 1/8 Chinese.

Yes, Canada has had a racist history, and yes Asians have successfully integrated and assimilated. But is this alone a case for redress for past wrongs? Certainly not. The case for redress is that in the 17 years since the 1988 redress settlement there has been tremendous healing in the Japanese Canadian community. In his final chapter, Miki shares that in order to become fully Canadian, the community had to forge an identity of being Japanese-Canadian through both internment and redress.

Similarly, my grandmother's younger brother Daniel Lee, a WW2 veteran, has consistenly requested that the Canadian government apologize for the head tax. Our family elders did not have the privilege or franchise to vote in the country of their birth until 1947, while other families were kept apart because of the consequences of the head tax and Chinese Exclusion Act. I am aware that as I have grown up in Canada, I have always been racialized, as my uncles before me who were denied jobs and university admittance. These were the real consequences of the head tax and continued legislated and socialized racism. Reading the accounts of the Japanese Canadians during internment, I can only marvel at what my own ancestors endured from arrivals in 1888 to 1947, when they were finally able to vote.

Joy Kogawa featured on CBC Radio "Sounds Like Canada" on Boxind Day morning 10:30am

Joy Kogawa is interviewed about her childhood home and the Save Kogawa House campaign. Kathryn Gretzinger met Joy at the house at 1450 West 64th Avenue earlier in November for this special interview. Joy also went to the CBC radio studio for some further interviews.

Listen to CBC Radio 690 AM in Vancouver - or on the web - www.cbc.ca 10:35am Dec 26, 2005

It has been such a pleasure getting to know Joy this year of 2005. The first time I met her was in 1986, at Expo 86's Folk Pavillion for a poetry and book reading. The next time I saw her was at a reading at the Vancouver Public Library in summer 2004 for Centre A. I was amazed at how tiny and fragile she was. But over the course of this year, I have gotten to know how, humble, warm and sincere she is. She truly is amazed at all the attention she has recieved from the Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver City Hall, and the media for the Save Kogawa House campaign.

Some significant Joy Kogawa Events I have attended for 2005 include:

May at the opening event for One Book One Vancouver at the Vancouver Public Library;
Joining Save Kogawa House committee in September

September ACWW Ricepaper Magazine 10th Anniversary Dinner where ACWW presented Joy with a Community Builder's Award in September;

Vancouver Arts Awards which included performances from opera Naomi's Road

Reading at Word on the Street for final One Book One Vancouver event

Oct 1 - opening weekend for the premiere of Naomi's Road Opera;

Nov 1st - Obasan Cherry Tree Day at City Hall - with cherry tree planting

Nov 3rd - presentation at City Hall, asking for an unprecedented 120 day delay for demolition of Kogawa House

Nov 12th Save Kogawa House - Awareness concert with Harry Aoki, Raymond Chow and performance of Naomi's Road

Here are some upcoming media coverage for Save Kogawa House events.

CBC Radio One, Sounds like Canada, Dec 26, 2005, 10am - 11am .
Vancouver Sun, Reporter Kevin Griffin, Dec 30 or 31, 2006.
CBC Radio One, “On the Coast,” Early January 2006 (air date to be confirmed).
Shaw Cable, “The Express,” January 4, 2006, 6pm and 8pm.
Common Ground Magazine, January 2006 issue.
OMNI TV: BC, “The Standard,” January 11, 2006, 9pm and January 12, 8am and 12 noon.

Burns poetry fit for Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2006

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner has picked up a noteriety as a "very Canadian" event and a Vancouver cultural tradition - known around Vancouver,  but also increasingly across Canada, in Scotland and around the world - with special thanks to the media and the internet.

This morning I recieved a phone call from Jim Bain, one of the organizers of the BC Highland Games and the Sons of Scotland.  Jim's wife is a Chinese Canadian descendant of head tax payers, so their children can claim to have ancestors who have been both run out of the Scottish Highlands during the "Clearings" after the Uprising at Culloden in 1745, as well as having been forced to pay the racist head tax only targeted at Chinese immigrants to Canada from 1885 to 1923.

Jim wanted to draw my attention to Burns' 1786 poem "Address Of Beelzebub" which honours the efforts of five hundred Highlanders who sought to emmigrate to Canada to find liberty and freedom.  After the 1745 uprising, many Highlanders were put into prisons and indentured labour.  It was a tough life, as many of their former lands were taken away from them and given away to English lords as favours - for whom they then had to work for.

Address Of Beelzebub
1786

Long life, my Lord, an' health be yours,
Unskaithed by hunger'd Highland boors;
Lord grant me nae duddie, desperate beggar,
Wi' dirk, claymore, and rusty trigger,
May twin auld Scotland o' a life
She likes-as butchers like a knife.

Faith you and Applecross were right
To keep the Highland hounds in sight:
I doubt na! they wad bid nae better,
Than let them ance out owre the water,
Then up among thae lakes and seas,
They'll mak what rules and laws they please:
Some daring Hancocke, or a Franklin,
May set their Highland bluid a-ranklin;
Some Washington again may head them,
Or some Montgomery, fearless, lead them,
Till God knows what may be effected
When by such heads and hearts directed,
Poor dunghill sons of dirt and mire
May to Patrician rights aspire!
Nae sage North now, nor sager Sackville,
To watch and premier o'er the pack vile, -
An' whare will ye get Howes and Clintons
To bring them to a right repentance-
To cowe the rebel generation,
An' save the honour o' the nation?
They, an' be d-d! what right hae they
To meat, or sleep, or light o' day?
Far less-to riches, pow'r, or freedom,
But what your lordship likes to gie them?

But hear, my lord! Glengarry, hear!
Your hand's owre light to them, I fear;
Your factors, grieves, trustees, and bailies,
I canna say but they do gaylies;
They lay aside a' tender mercies,
An' tirl the hallions to the birses;
Yet while they're only poind't and herriet,
They'll keep their stubborn Highland spirit:
But smash them! crash them a' to spails,
An' rot the dyvors i' the jails!
The young dogs, swinge them to the labour;
Let wark an' hunger mak them sober!
The hizzies, if they're aughtlins fawsont,
Let them in Drury-lane be lesson'd!
An' if the wives an' dirty brats
Come thiggin at your doors an' yetts,
Flaffin wi' duds, an' grey wi' beas',
Frightin away your ducks an' geese;
Get out a horsewhip or a jowler,
The langest thong, the fiercest growler,
An' gar the tatter'd gypsies pack
Wi' a' their bastards on their back!
Go on, my Lord! I lang to meet you,
An' in my house at hame to greet you;
Wi' common lords ye shanna mingle,
The benmost neuk beside the ingle,
At my right han' assigned your seat,
'Tween Herod's hip an' Polycrate:
Or if you on your station tarrow,
Between Almagro and Pizarro,
A seat, I'm sure ye're well deservin't;
An' till ye come-your humble servant,

Beelzebub.
June 1st, Anno Mundi, 5790.

Brigadoon opens Dec 9th at Richmond Gateway Theatre until Jan 1st!

Tonight is opening night at the Richmond Gateway Theatre for Brigadoon, that wonderful Lerner and Lowe musical that features one of my favorite songs - Almost Like Being in Love.  Gene Kelly imortalized the mystical Scottish village that only appears once every hundred years in the movie version of Brigadoon.

I will don my kilt and sporran and go join the other Asians in kilts and tartans - as the Gateway Theatre has a colourblind casting rule.  General Manager Simon Johnston himself, is half Chinese and also playwright of Gold Mountains Guest, and Running Dog  Paper Tiger.

I'm heading down for the opening night party where scotch tastings will be featured.

VANCOUVER, BC – Community efforts to save Joy Kogawa’s childhood home from the wrecking ball moved into a new phase today as The Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) has agreed to lead the campaign to acquire the house and secure its protection. "The Kogawa house is a very important part of British Columbia’s heritage," said TLC’s Executive Director Bill Turner, "and we are determined to see it protected. As of today, we have only 118 days to raise the funds needed to achieve this. We will need to raise $1.25 million to ensure the future of this site, and we’ll be getting to work immediately."    more »

Dialogues of the Carmelites: Not your ordinary opera - but extraordinary

By Francis Poulenc
Vancouver Opera
November 26, 29, December 1 & 3, 2005
All performances 7:30 pm  Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Conductor                 Jonathan Darlington
Director                    Tazewell Thompson   
Blanche de la Force    Kathleen Brett
Prioress                    Judith Forst
Madame Lidoine        Measha Brueggergosman
Marie Mere                Claire Primrose          
Constance                 Nathalie Paulin

I walked out of Vancouver Opera’s 2005 serving of Dialogues of the Carmelites simply amazed.  It was a production you either loved or hated. It pushed buttons. It wasn’t traditional. It was inspiring. It was beautiful. It made you think. There was no love story between a man and a woman.

There were no familiar songs that would ever appear on Opera’s greatest hits.  But it provided extraordinary showcase performances for Judith Forst, Kathleen Brett, Measha Bruggergosman and Claire Primrose.  How strange it is to see an opera where all the main characters are women, and where men play only secondary and supporting roles. But while there are no sexy tunes between men and women, there are many arias that deal with the relationship of spirit and to God. 

It is 1789, the dawn of the French Revolution.  After an incident in which her carriage is surrounded by The by mobs fin the street, a young agitated aristocratic woman named Blanch de la Force decides to join the Carmelite Order seeking refuge from both her family and the social turmoil happening in France. 

Blanche discovers an inner journey that is challenged once again by inside forces when she befriends a fellow initiate named Constance who shares with Blanche that they will die together.  Blanche is again challenged when  she is present at the death of the Pioress, who wails that Death is ugly, unforgiving and unspiritual. Soon after, outside forces come to play when the New French Republic orders that all Religious Orders become outlawed, and the nuns are forced to leave their home. It is at this point that Blanche flees the convent to find refuge as a servant in an aristocratic house.

Judith Forst sings a knock-out performance as the Prioress, while sitting in her death bed.  Kathleen Brett readily captured the agitated psychological state of Blanche de la Force, although her voice was weak at points - perhaps due to playing Blanche's weak state of mind, because in Act 2 & 3, as Blanche matures psychologically in her convictions, her voice becomes stronger.  Nathalie Paulin provided a clear and calm foil as Constance, to Brett’s Blanche.  And when finally Measha Bruggergosman came on stage in the 2nd Act, her voice and movement had so much presence it was hard not to be enthralled.

This is not a "pretty opera" despite its beatific moments where the nuns pledge themselves to martyrdom.  It is indeed a psychological drama that questions our own relationship to spirit, heroism, totalitarianism, religious order and self-sacrifice.  While watching I could not help but compare the exiling of the nuns from their convent to the internment of the Japanese-Canadians in 1942, which was nicely explored in Vancouver Opera's production of Naomi's Road.  Nor could I not draw comparison to the Vancouver Opera's past production of Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, also set during the French Revolution.

The final climatic scene is difficult to tear one's eyes away from.  Here is a spoiler - but good to know as the real story was first published by Marie Mere as a memoir.  Despite first suggesting martyrdom to her fellow nuns, it is she alone who somehow survives the imprisionment of the nuns, and their final walk to the guillotine.  Musically it is very powerful, as the cast sings Salve Regina, each one walks up, across and finally off-stage, one  by one, until you hear the metalic sound of a guilotine.  The choir of voices becomes smaller one by one until only Constance remains.  It is then that Blanche appears to hold hands with her friend Constance and to fulfil Constance's vision that they would die together.

Here was a modern opera written by Francis Poulenc, sung in French, set during the French revolution, about Carmelite nuns – and directed by African-American theatre and opera director Tazewell Thompson.  As a 9-year old boy, Thompson was sent by his grandparents to live in the convent of the Sisters of St. Dominic, in Blauvelt, N.Y. where he spent six years.  He says he learned Gregorian chants before he ever knew pop, jazz, folk or opera music.  What an extraordinary experience to learn and develop a relationship with a spiritual diety, as well as evolving one’s own spiritual development!  It makes sense that Thompson was asked to help create this particular production first with Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera.

Poulenc's music is indeed both beautiful and spiritual. I was moved by its thoughtful passages, and found myself humming Stravinsky's Infernal Dance of King Katschei from the Firebird Suite.  As well, I found myself thinking of Gershwin's American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess.  It was not a surprise then to read in the progam notes that Poulenc named Stravinsky as one of his greatest influences, as well as Gershwin.

Donald Eastman’s set design is beautiful in its simplicity.  A simple wall, stands halfway back on the stage, creating the interior of the Church.  Muted light enters through a high window.  At scence changes the pillars come forward to become walls, and to create individual rooms.  Later they recede, and the lighting changes to create and exterior scene.  The lighting changes again, and it is another scene in the Church, this time the harsh early light of morning.  The walls move again, and the nuns are in a prison cell.

Classical music has always been kind to colour-blind casting, as opposed to theatre or film. Casting New Brunswick born Afro-Canadian Measha Bruggergosman has absolutely no negative impact.  In fact, I think it speaks loudly about the multicultural ease that opera moves with.  The opera audience listens to French, German, Italian easily, and there has even been an opera now in Cree.  The settings are from around the world such as China in Vancouver Opera’s production of Turandot.  I look forward to the January 2007 production of Mozart’s Magic Flute reconstructed with a First Nations theme blending western and First Nations traditions together and designed with a team of First Nations artists.

In the end, it is the inspiration of the performances that moves us.


check out these reviews and links
Dialogues of the Carmelites
Georgia Straight review by Jessica Werb
Divine inspiration behind Vancouver Opera's latest
Vancouver Courier Review by Louise Phillips
All Praise to the singing nuns
Globe & Mail review by Elissa Poole
Religious Reflections
Georgia Straight interview with director Tazewell Thompson by Colin Thomas

Vancouver Opera Insight Articles
Facing the World Inside the Walls
Notes on the production of Dialogues of the Carmelites
by Stage Director Tazewell Thompson
Measha!
by Doug Tuck
Francis Poulenc, Graceful Composer
by Doug Tuck
Hearing the voice of Grace, Poulenc's Musical Style
by David Shefsiak