Roulette TV sits down with drummer and composer Tomas Fujiwara to discuss his performance, Shizuko—presented at Roulette in May 2021. Bringing together a fresh combination of longtime friends and collaborators, Fujiwara explored pieces developed during this period of pandemic, violence, pain, love, hope, action, and introspection as part of his 2021 Residency with Roulette. Inspired by his grandmother Shizuko Fujiwara, who passed away at the beginning of 2020, the compositions include ruminations on his Asian American / Hapa experiences and the continued violence and aggression towards AAPIs in the United States. “It is my hope that my compositions open up musical conversations within the ensemble for personal and group expression, story-telling, reflexion, and positivity. I am thrilled and thankful to be making music with Davi, Tomeka, Rafiq, and Taylor.”