artists
PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA
what's new
- 2013/06/20
- commmons works on display! Music Jacket Award official gallery opening soon!
- 2013/06/17
- Six commmons works nominated for the Music Jacket Award! Vote now!
- 2013/04/25
- The National Ballet of Japan Penguin Cafe 2013
- 2012/06/26
- Penguin Cafe's "a matter of life..." now on sale. Goro ITO and Arthur Jeffes (Penguin Cafe) to make an appearance at DOMMUNE on Tuesday, June 26!
- 2012/06/25
- Additional live concert with Goro ITO
live information
profile
The Penguin Café Orchestra is a band formed in 1976 by English musical genius Simon Jeffes. The combination of various acoustic instruments such as violin, oboe, viola, cello, ukulele, and accordion has been called a "minimalist salon music group" and a "mysteriously fresh-sounding chamber string ensemble." Their debut on Briar Eno's label Obscure in the mid-1970s garnered a lot of attention and due to the so-called "environmental music boom" of that era, their music was used in various commercials and as background music. Meanwhile, the group and their half-man-half-penguin CD jackets gained wide popularity in Japan as well. Their minimalist music style links them to contemporary music and also has elements of salon music. At the same time, it also contains the essence of folk music, making their pop style perfect for easy listening.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra also had many ties with Japan, co-performing with Ryuichi Sakamoto ("REPLICA" in "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia"), Akiko Yano ("THE Snake and THE Lotus"), and others. It is said that Simon Jeffes himself, who had also lived in Kyoto in the past, wanted to perform together with Ryuichi Sakamoto. The group was also active in many other places. Some of their more colorful performances included performing their new work "Still Life At Penguin Cafe" as a highlight for the production "Triple Bill" by The Royal Ballet in London's Convent Garden in 1987.
Although he had a bright future and career ahead of him, the leader, Simon Jeffes, unfortunately passed away because of a brain tumor in 1997 at the young age of 48. While the group can no longer unveil new works penned by his hand, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra is still active in places far and wide as a label.
