The rebecca manns sex videoKyoto Tachibana Green Band returns for the 2025 Rose Parade.
Report and photos by MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
One word summed up the reaction from several spectators at the annual Tournament of Roses Bandfest at Pasadena City College on Monday.
“Wow!”
For those seeing – and hearing – the band from Kyoto Tachibana High School for the first time, it was a primer into why this marching unit has gained worldwide fame.
The 180 or so musicians and flag corps took part in the showcase event that offers a preview of the marching bands that will make the five-and-a-half-mile trek down Colorado Boulevard in the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. After their performance, the visitors from Japan even had an unscheduled visit from Santa Claus.
Founded in 1961 with a mere 16 members, the band was created to provide an avenue toward healthful physical activity for students at the all-girls high school. Having evolved into one of the oldest all-girl bands in the world, the school has gone co-ed in recent years and the troupe has not only swelled in size, but has earned a global following that marvels at their impeccable musicianship and high-energy marching routines.
The nonprofit Green Band Association has been sponsoring bands from Japan to perform in international venues since1998, including the Rose Parade. Their visits to Southern California usually include a performance art Disneyland and a concert in Orange County. The Kyoto Tachibana band donated proceeds from their weekend concert to help relief efforts following this year’s hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida.
The group’s expenses are covered by fundraising and donations, a particularly challenging task this year, due to escalating air travel costs and continued weakness of the Japanese yen. The young musicians are hosted for homestay with local families.
Fondly nicknamed the “Orange Devils” because of their persimmon-toned uniforms, the Tachibana group’s signature number is a thundering rendition of Benny Goodman’s arrangement of “Sing, Sing, Sing.”
For more information on the Green Band Association, visit http://www.green-band.org/