Let's follow Yuko Kishi and Keisuke Nishihara from Ryukyu
Go to Okinawa together
Feel the breath of spring
Hi, Okinawa~

Traditional Okinawan folk songs, also known as shima uta, are based on three sanshin lines and vocals.

The three-stringed instrument of the Ryukyu Islands has a history of 600 years in Japan and has become an important symbol of Japanese traditional culture.

After the influence of European and American pop music in the 1960s and 1970s, the traditional folk music added more modern elements, such as jazz and rock.

On March 29 (Friday), Japanese singer Yuko Kishi and third-string performer Keisuke Nishihara, who will also bring beautiful songs on the same day, will wear kimonos and join hands with the band to bring a special concert of classic Okinawan folk jazz adaptation, leading everyone to directly experience Japanese music culture ~ when the fusion of Eastern classical culture and Western modern culture, What kind of wonderful chemical reactions will there be?

 

"Emotive, sincere, energetic" are the three words that clearly describe the voice of Yuko Kishi. She is sensational a jazz vocalist from Tokyo, Japan. Yuko began singing at 13, and initially she studied the Italian opera and more classical vocal stylings. Then soon she heard some contemporary American R and B divas and fell in love with American Urban Soul music.

 

She listened closely to and was influenced by great singers such as Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Dianne Reeves, and many others. After playing in a few pop bands she thought that she wanted to play music in a style where every player in the band can take a leading role, and play music with lots of improvisation. She started to learn jazz, and in 2005, began performing regularly with many jazz combos. Yuko has performed at many jazz clubs, restaurants and events not only in Tokyo, but also Saitama and Yokohama. In 2009, she moved to Shanghai and started performing.

 

She got involved in concerts such as the Shanghai 2010 Expo, Encore Live's "Take Me Home Country Roadhouse" in 2016, and also numerous festivals, events, nightclubs, cafés and restaurants. Jazz standards form the foundation of her artistic style, but she also enjoys singing pop songs, show tunes, and Japanese traditional folk songs too. Yuko's incredible vocal range spans three octaves, and she is an outstanding "scat" singer. Yuko has extensive experience both as a soloist and in vocal ensembles. She is a passionate, vibrant and versatile performer.