True Colors Festival (TCF) – the long-running international performing arts festival that celebrates diversity and inclusion – has announced Katy Perry as special guest, performing for TCF THE CONCERT 2022. The global pop superstar will take the stage alongside a powerful line-up of artists from around the world, in a concert that will celebrate diversity and the power of music to connect people everywhere.
“What drew me to join the True Colors festival was the spirit and uniqueness of the festival message and the opportunity to share the stage with all these diverse artists. I am thrilled to be back to Tokyo to take part in this inspiring event,” she said. .
TCF LE CONCERT 2022 will be performed twice, at the Tokyo Garden Theater in Japan on the evenings of November 19 and 20. Katy Perry and all artists will perform for both concerts.
With the theme One World, One Family, TCF THE CONCERT 2022 will bring together over 90 singers, dancers and musicians – over 20 bands and soloists – in a 2-hour concert experience culminating in a very special set by Katy Perry.
Selected from around the world, these diverse artists will reveal – through powerful performances – the uniqueness, importance of belief and truth of One World, One Family. Audiences can expect surprises, original cinematic content, moments of connection and pure entertainment in this unprecedented multimedia concert experience.
Artists include virtuoso violinist Adrian Anantawan (Canada); inclusive dance troupe BOTAN & DAZZLE (Japan); singer and 2nd runner-up of The Voice, Italy Federico Martello (Italy), singer Harumi (Japan); ILL-Abilities international dance team (multinational); dancer Kenta Kambara (Japan); Mandy Harvey (USA), singer and Golden Buzzer shooter on America’s Got Talent Tokyo NAKAMA Dancers (Japan); Grammy-nominated singer and guitarist Raul Midón (USA); singer and winner of the 2016 Karaoke World Championships Ryota Kaizo (Japan); rapper who performed – twice to a TV and online audience of a billion Sparsh Shah (USA); The Soulmatics choir (Japan); bionic pop artist Viktoria Modesta (UK); internationally decorated dancers We Are One (India); rapper and songwriter Wheelsmith (Singapore); and four artists who starred in Channel 4’s award-winning 2016 Paralympics trailer, We’re the Superhumans, which has been viewed over 10 million times to date: drummer Alvin Law (Canada), pianist Rachel Starritt (UK), multi-instrumentalist Johnatha Bastos (Brazil) and singer Tony Dee (Australia).
True to TCF’s commitment to being inclusive, THE CONCERT 2022 will provide a suite of accessibility features that will allow as many people as possible to experience the concert. These features include Japanese sign, international sign, real-time captions, audio description, and on-site waiting staff for any guests in need of assistance. This will be the first time that so many accessibility features have been included at a TCF event.
According to Sydney Tan, Creative and Music Director of TCF THE CONCERT 2022:
“It’s been a crazy roller coaster ride putting on this mega concert across time zones and language barriers using WhatsApp, FaceTime, Email and Zoom…and in the midst of a global pandemic to boot! But what a wonderful privilege it was for me and my team to seek out and get to know each of these artists as friends, building relationships of trust and mutual respect.
“So what can you expect at Concert 2022? I think you’ll experience incredible levels of performance in a show with the highest production values, featuring the True Colors artists alongside the only and unique Katy Perry. But beyond that, I believe it will be our privilege to get a glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary performers, and we hope that we all come away feeling like a part of “One World”, belonging to “One Family”.
TCF LE CONCERT 2022 is presented by The Nippon Foundation (TNF), which has long supported the rights of people with disabilities by working to create an inclusive society that enables people of all abilities to live their lives with dignity and pursue their dreams. These include establishing access to education from elementary to tertiary level, tackling employment and low-wage issues and, more recently, supporting disabled refugees from Ukraine. With the experience and insight of working in this field for over 50 years, TNF presents the True Colors Festival with the recognition that true inclusion of people with disabilities cannot be achieved until everyone in society adopts a “inclusive mindset” towards each other; and understands that it is a broader social issue than a disability-centric issue.
“About 15% of the world’s population lives with some kind of disability, and that number is growing. We are proud to announce the incredible Katy Perry as a guest performer for TCF LE CONCERT 2022. She will help bring the attention of the around the world on the immense talent of these incredible and diverse artists whose talents inspire us all. At TNF, we continually strive to build a more inclusive world where everyone is seen and heard,” said Ichiro Kabasawa, executive director of the Nippon Foundation.
Watch the trailer here:
