Koror, Palau – President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. has formally appointed famous Japanese Enka singer Oka Midori as Palau’s goodwill ambassador on culture and music.
In a letter addressed to the Japanese singer dated November 21, 2019, president Remengesau expressed his appreciation to the artist for introducing Enka to the Palauan people.
Enka, according to Japan embassy’s press statement, is a music genre that is reflective of Japan’s traditional music and is known to be “a form of sentimental ballad which is similar to Palauan oldies music.”
Enka singer Oka Midori is slated to have a free concert in Palau on November 24, 2019 as part of the celebration of the 25th year of diplomatic relationship with Japan.
“The exposure to Japan’s music and culture you have brought is invaluable to keeping and fostering one of Palau and Japan’s uniquely shared cultures,” president Remengesau stated in the letter.
The country’s top government leader also thanked the artist for accepting his offer to represent Palau in promoting “shared cultures of the Palauan and Japanese people.”
President Remengesau believed that the Japanese artist’s ‘impeccable’ background and experience in reaching out to big audiences will help in Palau’s promotion of music, cultural awareness and friendship between the two countries.
“With your integrity, talent, personality, and passion for sharing and preserving cultural identities, I am assured that you will represent the Palauan people well,” the president stated.