The Abuabua Band and Musical Team "LOVE," a group of Japanese people with Down syndrome and autism, had a one-day performance on May 6 in New York. The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, with a seating capacity of a thousand, was almost full, and about half of the audience were Americans.

Yoko Higashino, the leader of the group, appeared on stage with the members of the band to speak to the audience in English and introduced each member--Shigeya Hamada, percussion; Shigeru Gunji, drums; Kazuo Hosogosi, mari mba; Toshiyuki Arimoto, piano; Kayo Arihara, keyboard. To our surprise, all of them greeted us in both English and Japanese. Then they started playing.

The moment Toshiyuki sat down in front of the piano, amazingly beautiful music flowed out. Kazuo of marimba called out cheerfully to other members to get into the rhythm for the first number �gThe Wind from Abuabua.�h Sei Muzumoto, who has been composing music for the band for almost twenty years, accompanied on piano to support them, as well as Masao Higashino, guitar, Tomoyuki Murotani, bass, and Hidemi Mizumoto, vocal, who sang along behind the band. As soon as the music started, a disabled child in the audience who came with his parents started clapping joyfully. From the second number, a junior player, Kenji Nagahara (action rhythm), joined the band. Just listening to their music I felt amiable, and an indescribable emotion rose from the bottom of my heart.

Then the theater went dark and a film was projected on the white screen hung on the center of the stage. It was a scene from their practice, when Kazuo was an eleventh grade student and they had just formed a band: Kazuo and Ms. Higashino practicing a piece called �gSouth Tropic of Capricorn.�h In the film, Kazuo cannot master a very short phrase and says, �gI�fm sorry,�h then bows his head on Higashino�fs shoulder. Higashino cheers him up and repeats the same phrase again and again. And then Kazuo and Toshiyuki practice together. The same effort is repeated. After enormous hard work they finally get a melody. Seeing confidence on Kazuo�fs face, the audience gave him big applause. It was only a few-minutes, long video clip, but in the actual practice it took a year to get that melody.

After more than one hundred thirty performances in Japan over eighteen years, the group members are actually quite experienced entertainers and musicians. They are confident and able to make an audience laugh with their characters, and they do their job without fail. Both solos, �gT�fs Second Movement�h played by Toshiyuki, and �gKayo�fs Thought,�h done by Kayo, were impressively performed. The musical pieces, both composed by Misumoto, are incredibly beautiful, as if to purify our hearts. And Mizumoto�fs original piece, �gSummer Beach�h reminds us of cool shade under a tree and the murmuring of water stream. There were some difficult phrases but the members played the piece wonderfully. When our hearts melted, Kazuo whispered into the microphone, �gCom�fon, baby,�h at which the audience burst into laughter. There is always one character who stands out in any group; in this band, Kazuo is the one.

The reason all the music sounds as if it could wash our hearts away seemed not only owing to Mizumoto�fs musical sense as a composer. The players who face heavy challenges would not have been able to catch up just because it is beautiful music. When the passionate Kazuo gets excited and misses some tones or rhythms, the other members listen to each other carefully and make the music keep going, while normal musicians would get angry. In this band everyone helps each other, and that�fs how the show goes on. Maybe this is a tune which is born when normal and challenged people harmonize their hearts, a tune without greed or ambition. The harmony of angels would sound like this, I thought.

The second act was dances and songs performed by the musical team �gLOVE,�h which consists of twenty-six members, including the people from the band. The narrators are Toshiyuki at the piano, Shigeru at the drums and Masakazu Karatani from the musical team, and the show proceeds with some humor. The group�fs members can speak not only in English but also in sign language. (I can�ft.) Some of the musical team members appear on stage with no set but a piano and sing �gOh My Love,�h and start dancing. Yuri Goto is especially good at dancing, and she can do some balletic movements. Akira Hashimoto is a beautiful singer. Drawing his chin in and keeping his back straight, he sings in a lively voice, nicely phrasing the melody. He could be good enough to be a professional singer.

What surprised me was that although their movements were simple and immature, the dancers expressed their feelings without hesitation, staring into each other�fs eyes, which is usually very difficult for Japanese dancers. And in their movement there is no attempt to make themselves look talented and beautiful, which normal dancers are apt to do. They devote themselves to the music innocently and dance feeling the melody, so that their real feelings about dance are conveyed straightforwardly.

All the cast members were incredibly cheerful. In the piece �gYukihiko,�h the theme of which is Yukihiko Watanabe, who can hardly speak, everyone danced and sang, �gYukihiko, Yukihiko!�h placing him in the center of their circle. While singing, everyone was busy scratching his own head or neck, supporting any colleague who lost his balance, and so on. Yukihiko himself seemed happy and shy.

Telling us, �gthere are some hard times in the life,�h Toshiyuki sat down in front of the piano and started playing a dramatic score. Three female dancers danced to it and we felt the message they conveyed: �gLet�fs hold hands tightly and live through the hardship.�h When the narrators said, �gSuffering in our life is when we lose our jobs. Sadness in our life is when we are not understood,�h the dancers dance as if they are crying out, �gLord, help me!�h It is painful to see that those who are challenged can express such emotions.

Finally the team extend their hands to the audience and sing, �gOh My Love.�h Akira�fs superb voice filled the theater magnificently and totally overwhelmed the audience. On stage, one pulled forward her friend, who was hiding behind the line. Another is dancing by himself, getting excited. Just watching them singing together, we could tell that they are being themselves, free and helping each other. I saw the essence of the performing arts there, which many healthy, able artists tend to forget; giving your heart to the audience. Yukihiko, who cannot speak, also extended his hands to the audience, and the number concluded with a big upsurge. Members�f face shone from the storm of bravos and a standing ovation. The able musicians who always stood behind the company were also dazzling.

After the show, the members waited in the lobby and thanked the audience who left the theater shaking their hands. The audience�fs response was also, "thank you�h or �garigato.�h I also set out for home intoxicated by the waves of beautiful music floating in my heart. I had never before experienced such a fulfilling performance, which made me think of many factors at once: admitting others, accepting others, devoting oneself to others.