Sharon Minemoto - Goodbye, Strawberry Hill (2026) [Hi-Res]

This musical album commemorates the tragic and heroic history of a Japanese Canadian family during and after World War II. The author details forced internment, government confiscation of property, and subsequent repatriation to Japan, where family members endured poverty, discrimination, and the horrors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. Each composition serves as a personal tribute to specific relatives and pivotal events: from Aunt Keiko’s resilience and a grandfather’s death in an internment camp to a father’s eventual return to Canada. The work seamlessly blends Japanese roots with Canadian identity, celebrating cultural transformation and the indomitable strength of the human spirit in the face of systemic injustice.

Sharon Minemoto - piano
Jon Bentley - tenor saxophone
Darren Radtke - bass
Bernie Arai - drums and Hotchiku



Tracklist:
1. Sharon Minemoto - Rosebud (for Keiko Robson)
2. Sharon Minemoto - Meditation
3. Sharon Minemoto - Nenju (Prayer Beads)
4. Sharon Minemoto - Eulogy (for Sunawa Minemoto)
5. Sharon Minemoto - No Way Out
6. Sharon Minemoto - Captive Voyage
7. Sharon Minemoto - Ashes Falling Like Leaves
8. Sharon Minemoto - Akatombo
9. Sharon Minemoto - Dragonfly
10. Sharon Minemoto - An Ocean Between Us