Yoshida Brothers

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Yoshida Brothers
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Origin = Noboribetsu, Hokkaidō, Japan
Instrument = Shamisen
Genre = Tsugaru-jamisen
Years_active = 1999–current
Label = Domo Records
URL = [http://www.domo.com/YoshidaBrothers/ domo.com/YoshidaBrothers]
Current_members = nihongo|Ryōichirō Yoshida|吉田 良一郎 nihongo|Ken'ichi Yoshida|吉田 健一
Notable_instruments = ShamisenThe Yoshida Kyōdai () are Japanese musicians and have released several albums under the Domo Records internationally as the Yoshida Brothers.

They are a pair of brothers and performers of the traditional Japanese music style of Tsugaru-jamisen which originated in northern Japan. They debuted in 1999 in Japan as a duo playing the shamisen. Their first album sold over 100,000 copies and made them minor celebrities in Japan, a fact that surprised the Yoshida Brothers themselves. [ [http://www.j-popworld.com/Interviews/Yoshida_Brothers.php J-Pop World interview] ] They have since attracted an international audience.

Their music has been a fusion of the rapid and percussive Tsugaru-jamisen style along with Western and other regional musical influences. In addition to performing songs that are only on the shamisen, they also use modern instruments such as drums and synthesizers.cite web|url=http://fournotes.com/asia/japan/yoshida-brothers.php|title=Four Notes - Yoshida Brothers|accessdate=2007-09-12]

The commercials for the Nintendo's Wii video game console that began airing in North America in November 2006 feature the Yoshida Brothers song, "Kodo (Inside the Sun Remix)."cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/yoshidabrothers1|title=MySpace - Yoshida Brothers (official)|accessdate=2007-09-12]

Members

nihongo|Ryōichirō Yoshida|吉田 良一郎|Yoshida Ryōichirō|extra=born 26 July, 1977 and nihongo|Ken'ichi Yoshida|吉田 健一|Yoshida Ken'ichi|extra=born 16 December, 1979 were born in Noboribetsu in Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan. The two brothers have played the shamisen from a very young age. They both began to study and play the shamisen from five years of age under Koka Adachi, learning the Minyō-shamisen style; from about 1989 they studied the Tsugaru-jamisen style under Takashi Sasaki.

Discography

International albums

2003 - Yoshida Brothers

#Starting on a Journey
#Blooming
#Madrugada
#Storm
#A Hill With No Name
#Tsugaru Jyongara Bushi
#Labyrinth - "Modern"
#Sprouting - Moyuru
#Beyond the Deep Sea
#Storm -TM Mix-

2004 - Yoshida Brothers II

#Frontier
#Gales of Wind (Hayate) (nihongo2|疾風)
#Mirage (Shinkiro)
#Lullaby of Takeda
#Kodo
#Indigo
#Kagero
#Evening Calm (Yuunagi)
#Nikata
#Old/New-"Modern" Third Movement
#Arigato
#Kodo (Inside the Sun Remix)

2006 - Yoshida Brothers III

#Erghen Diado
#Passion
#Canon
#Hit Song
#Overland Blues
#Cherry Blossoms in Winter
#By This River
#Morricone
#Oh My Love
#Tsugaru Jinku
#My Heart Holds
#Tsugaru Jongara Bushi

2007 - Hishou

#Prelude Hishou
#Ibuki
#Kodo
#Ringo Bushi
#Ajigasawa
#Yasaburo
#Panorama
#Tsugaru Yosare
#Time of Sand
#Tsugaru Aiya
#Modern
#Dual
#Tsugaru Jongara
#Postlude Hishou

2008 - Best of Yoshida Brothers - Tsugaru Shamisen

#Storm
#Kodo (Hishou version)
#Overland Blues
#A Hill With No Name
#Modern (Hishou Version)
#Saiun
#Passion
#My Heart Holds
#Blooming
#Cherry Blossoms in Winter
#Kodo (Inside The Sun Remix)
#Rising
#Morricone

Japanese albums

* Ibuki (1999)
* Move (2000)
* Soulful (2002)
* Frontier (2003) (a.k.a. Yoshida Brothers 2005)
* Renaissance (2004)

References

External links

* [http://www.yoshidabrothers.com/ Yoshida Brothers: Official web site (English)]
* [http://yoshida-brothers.jp/ Yoshida Kyōdai: Official web site (Japanese)]
* [http://www.myspace.com/yoshidabrothers1 Yoshida Brothers Official MySpace]
* [http://www.domo.com/ Domo Music Group - Yoshida Brothers' Record Company]

Video

* [http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1791109 Yoshida Brothers - Public Performance]