Sorry to disappoint you guys, Luca isn't coming. At least not yet. The first guest that Otakon announced for their 2010 lineup is going to be the traditional music group The Yoshida Brothers. Brothers from the nether regions of Hokkaido, the two boys made their debut in 1999 with their shamisen, selling over 100k copies of their album, an unprecedented size for a traditional music CD. According to the Otakon staff, The Yoshida Brothers' appearance "supports our broader educational mission" of Japanese music and culture, and strengthens Otakon's stance as a very music-heavy convention. So you can guess what'll be coming later on: many more musical guests. Which I don't mind too much, but I have the hardest time in the world interviewing them. This one doesn't look like it'll be any easier. The one question I want to ask, "what do you think is the main reason for your success," already has a clear answer. Just look at the header image: they're banging. Just like Luca.
Baltimore, MD (February 3, 2010) – Award-winning global sensations the Yoshida Brothers, whose
music builds on traditional Japanese music, will be guests at Otakon 2010. They will perform on Friday
night (exact time to be announced later), as well as signing autographs and participating on a panel.
"We've been trying to enhance our cultural content over the last few years," said Jim Vowles, Otakon
Guest, Industry, and Press Relations Chief. "It supports our broader educational mission, of course, but
the response from our membership has been great. Since we're kind of well known for musical acts,
we've wanted to bring in a traditional music act for some time. We actually approached the Yoshida
Brothers two years ago, but this is the first time their schedule and ours have meshed well enough to bring
them. We're very excited."
The Yoshida Brothers were born in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. Each picked up the shamisen at the tender
age of 5, and began studying Tsugaru shamisen under Takashi Sasaki I in 1990. After sweeping prizes at
national Tsugaru shamisen conventions, the brothers made their major debut in 1999. The debut album
sold over 100,000 copies, an extraordinary figure for a traditional folk music release.
This album was selected “Traditional Japanese Music Album Of The Year” in the 15th annual Japan Gold
Disc Awards, as well as the “30th Anniversary Of Normalization Of Japan-China Diplomatic Relations
Commemorative Special Prize."
In 2002, the brothers followed their success with their first national tour, “Live Soul.” performing in 30
cities. The following year, they made their U.S. debut with Yoshida Brothers from Domo Records and
performed in New York and Los Angeles.
An international release followed in Korea in 2004, where they performed their first concert in Seoul, in
addition to a domestic tour that included 28 cities. In the meantime, they released their second U.S.
album, Yoshida Brothers II, and went on a U.S. promotional tour, visiting seven cities. It was a year of
significant breakthrough, through their participation in other various projects such as an international
exchange event in Sweden and a TV commercial in Japan.
In 2005, the brothers recorded an album in Los Angeles, followed by a West Coast tour and a concert in
Hawaii. In 2006, they toured the U.S., Spain, and Hong Kong. In Hong Kong they released their very
first greatest hits album and marked favorable sales. Domestically, they launched a shamisen-only
national tour. And in 2007, their music created buzz in the U.S. as their music was used in the TV
commercial for Nintendo’s Wii. At the end of that year, the brothers recorded another much-anticipated
album in the U.S., which is yet to be released.
Vowles said, "While most of our membership will know the shamisen music from those Nintendo Wii
commercials, the Yoshida Brothers are one of Japan's best exports — internationally acclaimed and
respected for their skills, and crossing genres to work with some of the hottest acts around. They bring a
traditional Japanese sound, but infuse it with a very modern energy."
In 2008, they released Best of Yoshida Brothers and toured in U.S. and Canada. They followed that in
2009 with Prism, for which the brothers collaborated with notable talents, including an inspired cover of
“The National Anthem” from Radiohead’s Kid A.
As one of the artistic groups whose scope of activities go way beyond traditional Japanese music, the
Yoshida Brothers continue to make not only Japan but also U.S., Europe, and Asia their stage.
"We had an incredibly enthusiastic response to Eminence in 2007, which featured a string section playing
anime and video game music," Vowles said. "And last year, we had Kanon Wakeshima playing a cello to
a packed house. We want to keep showcasing some great music and top-notch performances, and with
this year our visual theme is all about music, so it seemed the right time to push the bar — and we know
our members are willing to look beyond the J-Rock and Visual Kei spectrum."
Official home page: http://www.domo.com/yoshidabrothers/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/yoshidabrothers1
Otakon 2010 will be held July 30 – August 1 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
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4 comments
Those who plan going to Otakon should really go to their concert, their music is AWESOME.