Hiroshima (band)

Hiroshima is an American band formed in 1974 that incorporates Japanese instruments in its music. Hiroshima has sold over four million albums around the world.

Hiroshima
OriginLos Angeles, California
GenresSmooth jazz, R&B, pop, world music[1]
Years active1974–present
LabelsArista, Epic, Qwest, Heads Up
Members
  • Dan Kuramoto
  • June Kuramoto
  • Danny Yamamoto
  • Dean Cortez
  • Kimo Cornwell
Past members
  • Jess Acuna
  • Jeanette Clinger
  • Peter Hata
  • Dave Iwataki
  • Teri Koide
  • Shoj Kameda
  • Teri Kusumoto
  • Barbara Long
  • Richard Mathews
  • Dane Matsumura
  • Johnny Mori
  • Margaret "Machun" Sasaki-Taylor
  • John Shipley
  • Terry Steele
Websitehiroshimamusic.com

Biography

Dan Kuramoto, Hiroshima's leader, is from East Los Angeles. He attended California State University, Long Beach, then led its Asian-American studies department. Through playing in a band on weekends he met June Kuramoto, a native of Japan who grew up in Los Angeles and played koto, a Japanese stringed instrument. Kuramoto admired Earth, Wind, and Fire for the way it combined jazz and R&B, and Santana for his identification with Latinos. He wanted to create a band that would represent Asian Americans. He named it after the Japanese city Hiroshima, which was mostly destroyed by an atomic weapon at the end of World War II.[2]

Hiroshima's debut album sold more than 100,000 copies in its first three months. The band's second album yielded the song "Winds of Change", which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Instrumental. Hiroshima got its first gold album in 1985 with Another Place and the second with Go which followed it. The album Legacy was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2010. Hiroshima has sold more than four million albums worldwide. In 1990, the band was the opening act for Miles Davis,[2] and in 1988 they played with T-Square at the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall.

Hiroshima consists of Dan Kuramoto (saxophone, flute, keyboards, shakuhachi), June Kuramoto (koto), Kimo Cornwell (Keyboards), Dean Cortez (Bass guitar), and Danny Yamamoto (drums and taiko).[2]

Awards and honors

Hiroshima was given the Visionary Award by East West Players, the oldest Asian Pacific American theatre company in the United States,[3] for the band's "Impact on the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through their artistic excellence and support of the Asian Pacific American performing arts."[4]

Members

  • Dan Kuramoto (1974–present) (saxophone, flute, shakuhachi, keyboards, percussion)
  • June Kuramoto (1974–present) (koto)
  • Danny Yamamoto (1974–present) (drums) (2019 tour) keyboards, taiko, percussion)
  • Kimo Cornwell (present) (keyboards)
  • Dean Cortez (present) (bass guitar)

Past

  • Johnny Mori (1974–2003) [5]
  • Peter Hata (guitar, 1974–1984)
  • Dave Iwataki (keyboards, 1974–1977)
  • Dane Matsumura (bass guitar, 1977–1980)
  • John Shipley (keyboards, 1977-1978)
  • Richard Matthews (1979-1980) (keyboards)
  • Teri Kusumoto (vocals, 1977–1982)
  • Jess Acuna (vocals, 1977–1982)
  • Barbara Long (vocals, 1985 album Another Place, 1987 album Go)
  • Margaret Sasaki-Taylor "Machun" (vocals, 1989 album East)
  • Jeanette Clinger (vocals, 1992 album Providence)
  • Teri Koide (vocals, 1994 album LA)
  • Terry Steele (vocals, 1999 album Between Black & White)
  • Shoji Kameda (taiko, throat singer, 2003-2016)[6]

Discography

TitleYearLabel
Hiroshima 1979 Arista
Odori 1980 Arista
Third Generation 1983 Epic
Another Place 1985 Epic
Go 1987 Epic
East 1989 Epic
Providence 1992 Epic
L.A. 1994 Qwest
Urban World Music 1996 Qwest
Between Black and White 1999 Windham Hill
The Bridge 2003 Heads Up
Spirit of the Season 2004 Heads Up
Obon 2005 Heads Up
Little Tokyo 2007 Heads Up
Departure 2011 Hiroshima
J-Town Beat 2013 CD Baby/Hiroshima
2020 2021 Hiroshima
Weekends Away 2023 CD Baby/Hiroshima

References

  1. Yanow, Scott. "Hiroshima". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  2. Chang, Heidi (16 September 2016). "After 40 Years, Hiroshima's Music Still Resonates". NBC News. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  3. "Behind the Curtains: The Evolution and Impact of Asian Americans in Theatre | US-China Institute". china.usc.edu. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  4. BWW News Desk. "East West Player 46th Anniversary Visionary Awards to Honor Kimora Lee Simmons, Hiroshima and TAIKOPROJECT". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  5. Johnny Mori. Discover Nikkei, Japanese American National Museum. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
  6. About, Members biography. On Ensemble.
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