Renown singer/songwriter Susan Osborn will be the featured attraction as Isle be Jammin’ hosts a benefit concert for the people of Sendai, Japan, this Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m.

Osborn, an Orcas Island-based musician, will perform a program entitled “Songs of Japan”. The people of Sendai, a port city in northeastern Japan, are among those hardest hit by the 9.0 earthquake that devastated many coastal communities on March 11 .

Sendai is the closest major city to the epicenter of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked much of the country, including Tokyo. 

The city also incurred massive damage from the subsequent tsunami. The quake is one of the strongest ever recorded in Japan.

Osborn has performed extensively in Japan and refers to the country as a “second home.”

“The generosity, kindness and depth of the people there, and the beauty of that ancient culture have nourished me profoundly over the past 21 years and I am forever grateful, she said in a prepared statement.

“The people are suffering now… grief at the loss of so much, shortages of food, water and warmth, in addition to fears about the ongoing nuclear situation. Funds are needed, as well as prayers. I will be doing a benefit concert of the Japanese songs that continue to enrich my life.”

Osborn will perform two 40-minute sets, with an intermission and refreshments in between.

Donations can be made at the door; those unable to attend can donate to: OICC Helping Hands Japan Fund. PO Box 205, Eastsound, WA 98245.

For information about the benefit concert or how to donate, call Kirk Fuhrmeister 378-5151. Isle be Jammin’ is located at 335 Spring Street.