Aurora Foundation Presents KEI OGLA Benefit Dinner & Auction, and Concert in LA

The Aurora Foundation is pleased to announce that Aurora Foundation Benefit Dinner & Auction will be held on October 29 (Fri) at Kyoto Grand Hotel & Garden, and Kei Ogla Aurora Benefit concert on Saturday, October 30th at El Camino College in Torrance.

Kei Ogla Aurora Benefit Concert (The tickets will be available from July 1 : Aurora Foundation Club Members can reserve the tickets from June 20. For more information, please contact Aurora Foundation.)

Kei Ogla is a singer, songwriter, and composer, and has been one of the most popular and well known artists in Japan. Ogla was born in the Ueno district of Tokyo in 1944. He graduated from University of Tokyo in 1967 and started working for Nihon Kangyo Bank (Mizuho Bank). In his 25 years at the bank, he became a branch manager at the Hamamatsu branch and was Financial Service Manager at the bank headquarters. He retired from the bank in 1993 and was accepted into Law School at University of Tokyo. He eventually moved to the Philosophy Department and received his Masters degree in 2000. All during his bank and academic years, Ogla also was very active in his music career as a singer/song writer. His first major LP album, “Seisyun : Sabaku no Shonen” was released in 1971. His third album, “Samayoi” (1972), sold over a million records. Ogla shared his compositions with top popular musicians in Japan, and many of the songs he wrote have become truly iconic in Japanese music history, including such songs as: “Shikuramen no Kaori,” “Oretachi no Tabi,” “Yume Shibai,” “Itoshiki Hibi,” and “Ai Sansanto.” Mr. Ogla has received numerous music awards for his lyrics as well as his compositions, including Japan's top music award, the Japan Record Award (outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association). Ogla has been passionate about writing stage musicals, and his shows “Algo,” “Bunza,” and “Ikyu Soujyun Story” were well received and highly acclaimed by wide range of audiences. He holds his solo stage performance, “Kadan no Kai,” every year in a various locations in Japan. 2010 is his 40th anniversary of Olga music career, and his anniversary tour, “Kaiko, Tabi Tojyo” is touring all over Japan now.

Click for event flyer in PDF

The Aurora Foundation was established in 1998 by Dr. Akiko Agishi, Founder and President, as a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization. Its mission promotes Japanese culture to mainstream Americans interested in Japanese language and culture by providing them scholarships and grants through the Aurora Foundation’s Scholarship Programs. The scholarship recipients have been generating immeasurable goodwill for USA/Japan relations, and the Foundation believes that its efforts and accomplishments will continue to influence younger generations now and into the future. Net proceeds from this Fall event helps fund the Aurora Japanese Language Scholarship, the Aurora Challenge Grant, the Aurora Speech Contest, and the Aurora Endowment Fund along with Aurora Program activities.