Discription
ajate
The group was formed by leader John Maeda, who recognized the African DNA flowing through the sound of Japanese music after studying between Ghana and Burkina Faso. Taiko drums in the style of Edo festival music and bass and guitar reminiscent of Nigeria's Afrobeat create a groove, and homemade bamboo instruments go wild, shinobue flute dances in the air, and energetic voices rain down on the dance music that you don't need to understand.
Their second album, ``abrada,'' released in April 2017 as a completely self-produced album, received acclaim overseas and was released as an analog version worldwide on the French 180g label in November.
In May 2018, they embarked on a tour of France, starting with an appearance at the festival le printemps des nefs in Nantes, France, and performing in seven locations. In December of the same year, they performed at the international festival "Transmusicales 2018", and the KEXP live show recorded in Rennes at that time is now being distributed all over the world.
In July 2019, he went on his second tour of France, and also performed at the eco-festival Terres du Son, where Seun Kuti and Fatoumata Diawara also appeared.
Their third album ``alo'' was released as a CD on New Year's Day, January 1, 2020, and an analog version was released on the French 180g label in March of the same year. During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, we also took on the challenge of creating our own distribution programs, releasing programs such as ``Ajate Appreciation Party at Home'' and ``Ajate TV.''
In 2021, the first 7inchep “emisa lasso” will be released. Gradually attracting attention in Japan, in October 2021, she will perform at Japan's largest world music festival "Sukiyaki meets the world".
The following year, in May 2022, he will appear at the Fuji&Sun Music Festival.
In July 2022, they will once again tour France with 21 performances, performing in front of 10,000 people at the largest festival in Brittany, France, "Festival Bout du Monde."
In April 2023, the second EP “iduchiemo / maideso” will be released.
In the summer of 2023, they will once again be touring Europe, performing at the international festival "Vienne Jazz Festival" held at a famous ancient theater in France, and also at the world's largest world music festival, Womad, on their first trip to the UK.
In 2024, she will release her first full-length album in four years, ``dala toni'', which will be selected as one of the top of the world by British songlines magazine. It was also featured on the Japan Times spotlight page.
In July of the same year, they embarked on their fifth European tour, performing in Switzerland and France as well as Italy and Germany for the first time. In addition, a live session was recorded on France's largest radio station rfi's world music program, which was aired in September of the same year.
Currently, the "Ajate Appreciation Party" is being held regularly at Shibuya Roots on the first Thursday of odd-numbered months as the host, and it has unexpectedly entered its 9th year.
members:
– junichiro “john” imaeda: piechiku (bamboo guitar), vocal, chorus
– yukio “gen” sato: vocal, chorus, take (bamboo cylinder)
– takako uchida “peppermint u” : vocal, chorus, tamasudare (a bamboo prop for the
traditional busking in japan)
– kazuki “cho-san” chonan: shinobue (japanese bamboo flute)
– noriko “nyori” ota: jaate (bamboo xylophon)
– tomohiko “kick-rin” kikuchi: bass
– yugo akamatsu: kane (japanese traditional metal percussion)
– keigo “shin-san” yamada: shime-taiko (japanese traditional high-pitched drum)
– masaho “doncic” tamura: ohdo (japanese traditional low-pitched drum)
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