Minyo Crusaders

The ensemble after performing at the 2023 Japan Festival.
Minyo Crusaders
OriginTokyo City, Tokyo, Japan
Genres
Labels
Members
  • Fready Tsukamoto（vocals）
  • Meg（vocals, pianica）
  • Katsumi Tanaka（guitar）
  • Moe（keys）
  • Koichiro Osawa（sax）
  • Sono（timbales）
  • Mutsumi Kobayashi (bongos and percussions）
  • Irochi（congas）
Past members
  • DADDY U（b）
  • Yamauchi Stephan（tp）
  • Shoji Ishiguro（b）
Websiteminyocrusaders.com

Minyo Crusaders (Japanese: 民謡クルセイダーズ) is a Japanese musical group that reworks traditional Japanese folk songs (min'yō) with arrangements inspired by various international music genres, including Caribbean, Latin and African music. The group was co-founded by Katsumi Tanaka and Freddie Tsukamoto, with the goal of reviving min'yō as a "music for the people".[1][2]

They released their first album, Echoes of Japan in 2017 on P-Vine Records.[3] In the album the Minyo Crusaders attempt to bring back Min'yo back to its 'common man' origins, going against the recent trend that Min'yo at-large had of appealing to the upper classes despite its working class roots.[4] The album was later reissued on Mais Um in 2019.[5]

Members

Support Members

Several musicians play and tour with the band regularly, some for several years, but are credited as "support members". [6] [7]

These include: Midori Takenoko (vo, musical accompaniment), Toshio ‘Digi’ Fujino (bass), Yusuke Noguchi (trumpet), Kayoko Yuasa (trombone), Madokorona Oya (congas).

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Echoes of Japan (エコーズ・オブ・ジャパン)
  • Released: 6 December 2017
  • Label: P-Vine Records
  • Formats: CD, vinyl, digital download
Live at Le Guess Who?
  • Released: 9 July 2021
  • Label: Mais Um Discos
  • Formats: digital download

EPs

Title Album details
Minyo Cumbiero (From Tokyo to Bogota)
  • Released: 6 August 2020
  • Label: Mais Um Records
  • Formats: digital download
  • with: Frente Cumbiero

References

  1. ^ Romero, Angel (1 June 2019). "Artist Profiles: Minyo Crusaders". World Music Central. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. ^ Houghton, Edwin (15 May 2019). "Minyo Crusaders Armor Japanese Folk Music for the Post-Modern Age". Bandcamp. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Echoes Of Japan = エコーズ・オブ・ジャパン". Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  4. ^ Wiser, Danny (19 March 2021). "JAPAN: Echoes of Japan - Minyo Crusaders". 200worldalbums.com. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  5. ^ Spencer, Neil (28 April 2019). "Minyo Crusaders: Echoes of Japan review – unlikely fusion's great grooves". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Minyo is Back in Town 2025 New Year at Cotton Club". cottonclub.com (in Japanese). 3 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Minyo Crusaders - 民謡クルセイダーズ｜Artists｜Blue Note Tokyo". bluenote.co.jp. 29 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2025.


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