Kaori Muraji: Japan’s Leading Classical Guitarist

Kaori Muraji: Japan’s Leading Classical Guitarist

Kaori Muraji (born April 14, 1978, in Taito, Tokyo) is a renowned Japanese classical guitarist and the younger sister of guitarist Soichi Muraji. Trained by her father and later by Shinichi Fukuda, she rose to fame in the early 1990s after winning multiple national...
Newport Jazz Festival

Newport Jazz Festival

The Newport Jazz Festival, founded in 1954 by Elaine and Louis Lorillard and organized by George Wein, is one of the most iconic jazz festivals in the United States. Held each summer in Newport, Rhode Island, it began at the Newport Casino and quickly expanded,...
Issei Noro: The Visionary Behind Casiopea

Issei Noro: The Visionary Behind Casiopea

Issei Noro (born January 1, 1957, in Meguro, Tokyo) is a Japanese jazz fusion guitarist and composer. He is best known as the leader of the band Casiopea. Noro co-founded Casiopea in 1977 with bassist Tetsuo Sakurai. He quickly became the group’s main composer. Under...
Skasucks

Skasucks

Skasucks is a ska-punk band from Seoul, South Korea, formed in 2006 and known for its energetic live shows. The group is led by vocalist Ryu, who is also a tattoo artist and a key figure in the Korean punk scene. Skasucks has opened for international acts such as The...
Masayoshi Takanaka: Fusion Icon with Tropical Flair

Masayoshi Takanaka: Fusion Icon with Tropical Flair

Masayoshi Takanaka (born Ryu Masayoshi, March 27, 1953) is a Japanese guitarist, composer, and producer, widely regarded as a pioneer of Japanese rock and fusion. Born in Tokyo to a Chinese father and Japanese mother, he began his career in the early 1970s with the...