The groundbreaking world music/jazz fusion group Hiroshima brings its unique combination of electronica and jazz to Cafe Istanbul Friday night (September 21) at 8 pm. When Hiroshima cut its self-titled debut album in 1979, record executives at the band’s own label thought that its unprecedented combination of traditional Japanese instruments and Latin percussion playing American jazz arrangements would fall on deaf ears. But the band’s distinctive, hypnotic sound — built around virtuoso koto player June Kuramoto; keyboardists Dan Kuramoto (who doubles on flute) and Kimo Cornwell; percussionists Danny Yamamoto and Shoji Kameda; and bassist Dean Cortez — has found its way into the mainstream of contemporary music. What some wags may have dismissed as smooth jazz a generation ago is now cutting edge ambient music from a band that has sold some 4 million records over the course of its career. Hiroshima will feature material from the 2010 hit release Legacy and its latest album, Departure.
Dig the ninja-riffic video for “San Say” as well as the video for Hiroshima’s trance-y 1986 hit “One Wish” below:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe-EIrsAL8E&feature=share&list=ULFe-EIrsAL8E[/youtube]
