HIROYA TSUKAMOTO is a one-of-a-kind composer, brilliant guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the five-string banjo when he was thirteen, and took up the guitar shortly after. In 2000, Hiroya received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and came to the United States. Hiroya has been leading concerts internationally including several appearances at Blue Note in New York City with his group and Japanese National Television(NHK). Hiroya performed, recorded and released two solo albums and three with his acclaimed group Interoceanico.
YOUSSRA EL HAWARY became a sensation in the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution … capturing the stories of Cairo and the Mediterranean basin that fuels her music. A fixture of Egypt’s independent music scene, El Hawary and her five-piece band meld the sounds of Cairo’s underground with acoustic charm, led by the sway and swagger of El Hawary’s accordion. Her songs entwine French chanson, indie rock, and jazz to underscore an idiosyncratic artistic world. She is currently on her debut US tour as part of Center Stage, a cultural exchange program that invites performing artists from abroad to the United States to perform, meet, and share their experiences with communities around the country.