Ringing in the sounds of Okinawa

Shokichi Kina may not be a well-known name in China, but the song Hana he wrote in 1980, sung by Hong Kong singer Emil Chou and renamed Blooming Flowers in the Hearts of All, enjoyed great popularity in the country in the early 1990s.

Shokichi Kina is to Okinawan music what Bob Marley was to reggae: The Man.

On Sept 6, the man and his band will perform at the Haidian Theater and treat local fans to the original version of his hit, Hana. "It's great to perform in Beijing in the Olympic summer. I was impressed by the ancient part of the Opening Ceremony and the message of peace expressed in the show. My music also celebrates peace," he says.