Yoshida Nazarov Koichi is coming home to Kyoto! After two years performing music in Russia and Europe, shakuhachi player Yoshida Nazarov Koichi will return to Japan this January, and play his first performance at the legendary Zac Baran! Playing once again with his former bandmate, the jazz pianist Ikeda Ippei, Koichi has a fresh new batch of original tunes, traditional numbers … [Read more...]
Yugao & Carmen Alvarez @ Zac Baran – Video
My apologies to all for the tardy nature of this post, but here finally are the videos from Yugao's performance with Carmen Alvarez earlier this month. Incidentally, Carmen will be holding a flamenco party and performance at the restaurant Tio Pepe this Friday, so if you like what you see below, you know where to go. Entry is 2,500 yen which includes one drink and a plate of … [Read more...]
Shakuhachi & Flamenco Live with Yugao – This Weekend!
Our old friend the shakuhachi player, Koichi Yoshida, and his band Yugao have an autumn show at Zac Baran this weekend and the wonderful flamenco dancer Carmen Alvarez is back from Spain to join the performance! You can see some clips of Carmen in action with Yugao from a performance last year here. A little birdy tells me that Koichi is planning to move to France soon... so … [Read more...]
Yugao ~ Pre-European Tour Live Concert @ Zac Baran this Sunday!
This Sunday, September 18th, our friend Koichi Yoshida and his band Yugao will play a final show at the legendary live music venue Zac Baran before embarking on their European tour. Kyoto’s most popular fusion band, Yugao's performances feature music for shakuhachi, piano, cello, and tabla across a range of classical, traditional and modern jazz genres. Every show is eclectic, … [Read more...]
Yugao & Masayoshi Okubo at Zac Baran
On the 17th of July I saw Yugao play a very fine concert with biwa and bass guitar player Masayoshi Okubo. Yugao of course already play an entrancing combination of classical, jazz, and traditional music on shakuhachi, piano, tabla and cello. With another player on board we were in for a very magical evening indeed! Here are some videos and images from a very memorable … [Read more...]
Yugao & Carmen Alvarez
“Flamenco is a gypsy/Andalusian art with its own language, which is spreading throughout the whole world, from Andalusia to Japan, and reaching the depths of all hearts without discrimination.” - Carmen Alvarez Another fantastic show from Yugao at Parker House Roll last night, and it was made all the more special when their special surprise guest, Carmen Alvarez, joined … [Read more...]
Yugao @ Zac Baran
Our old friend Koichi Yoshida's band Yugao (moonflower) performed at Zac Baran on August 1st. This was the first time for me to see him play with this band and the first time in more than I year I have seen Koichi play the shakuhachi. The set was an eclectic blending of classical, jazz and Japanese traditional influences played by Koichi on shakuhachi, Ikeda Ippei on piano, … [Read more...]
Japanese Folk & Shakuhachi
I know I said the next post would be about Omuraya, but I thought you might like to see this music video from Sunday night at Zac Baran. Local folk musician Udonya Mentei was accompanied by Yoshida Koichi on the shakuhachi to very powerful effect. A great night and so many good songs, I felt pained I only had enough memory on my camera for the one. I don't know what this song … [Read more...]
Zac Baran
I first met Yoshida Koichi in the music bar Hawkwind. A shakuhachi player, he told me he plays in many styles, not just traditional, but jazz, folk, avant garde, new age, pretty much anything. In Hawkwind we were listening to some hip-hop. "How about this then?" I challenged him with a grin. And do you know, he stood up immediately, he played, and it was wonderful. I was very … [Read more...]
