What is it?
Presented by singer-songwriter and multicultural artist Haikaa, the “I am a Cat Musical Monologue” is a solo performance with eleven original songs interwoven by a spoken narrative. Divided into three acts - I am a Good Person, I am a Cat, I am a Work of Art - the play takes the audience across the globe through multiple cultural references including Japanese, American and Brazilian cultures.
In addition to being the title of Haikaa’s new album and song, “I am a Cat” is also a tribute to a Japanese novel by author Natsume Soseki. On this novel, a cat narrates the many changes in day-to-day life of a typical family at the end of the 19th century when Japan is opening itself up to the rest of the world. With versions in English, Spanish, Japanese and Portuguese, the “I am a Cat Musical Monologue” is an invitation to leave a psychological state of isolation and to gradually open up to the world and to a new life.
Who is Haikaa?
Haikaa is a multicultural artist from Brazil, Japan and the US. While studying at Seishin International School in Tokyo, Haikaa had her first professional experience when she became a Sony Music Japan artist. After Sony, Haikaa continued her career as an independent artist, releasing several albums and singles.
Haikaa believes that art can contribute to effectively build a more inclusive world where diversity can be better understood, appreciated, and even celebrated. Towards this goal, she has launched several initiatives as creator/co-creator of multiple projects over the years. Her "Work of Art Global Project" received honorable mention by UNAOC, the UN branch that promotes diversity. The music video of the project where Haikaa sings her song “Work of Art” in 21 languages was shown at the UNAOC’s annual event in Qatar in 2010. She also wrote the book “What is Diversity?” in addition to contributing to other projects in photography and education. Launched in 2019, the "Hey Amigo" app to connect cancer patients and volunteers which she helped create won the international innovation award by the ISPRM. The ISPRM is the global agency of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in relation with the World Health Organization.
Haikaa is now taking her multicultural and multilingual play, the “I am a Cat Musical Monologue,” to cultural centers, museums, and theaters around the world to further promote diversity and inclusion in a graceful and poetic way that art can surely accomplish.
