Japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, who has worked and collaborated under the mentorship of jazz giants Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, performed at a packed Ikeda Culture Auditorium at the Singapore Soka Association Headquarters on 14 May 2011. Entitled “Jazz Connection with Shunzo Ohno”, the audience was treated to a diverse range of soothing rhythms that includesd Scarborough Fair, a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom, First Step, Shunzo’s own original composition that was inspired when his eldest baby daughter first started walking and Fields of Gold, a popular tune by Pop Grammy Winning artist Sting.
In spite of the success the Jazz Grammy award winning musician enjoyed throughout his eventful career, Shunzo’s journey to fame was not without its struggles. Shunzo, who is also a Nichiren Buddhist, shared with the audience how his career was nearly destroyed on two occasions. In 1988, a serious automobile accident left his lip and teeth permanently damaged and in 1996, adversity struck again when he was diagnosed with life threatening throat cancer. It was during these critical periods where he explained how his Buddhist practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo gave him the life force and strength to overcome the odds and achieve his dream beyond expectations each time.
The concert is the second in a series of “Friendship for Peace Concerts” for this year held by the SSA, which believes in the social role and contribution of Buddhism to promoting cultural, community and educational activities for the benefit of the community.
