Oki (musician)

OKI
Oki performing with the Oki Dub Ainu Band
Background information
Birth name	Oki Kano (加納 沖, Kanō Oki?)
Born	1957
Origin	Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Genres	Ainu, Dub, Reggae, Rock, Afrobeat
Instruments	Tonkori
Years active	1999–present
Associated acts	Umeko Ando

Oki Kano (加納 沖, Kanō Oki^?), known professionally as OKI, is an Ainu Japanese musician, from Kanagawa Prefecture. He studied industrial arts at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. His father, Bikki Sunazawa, was a renowned wood sculptor. Oki uses the tonkori, an Ainu stringed instrument, in his performances and mixes traditional Ainu music with reggae, dub and other styles of world music. He also plays guitar and traditional Ainu percussion instruments.

Oki performs frequently in Japan, and he has also taken part in a number of folk music festivals in other countries. In 2006, he released the album Kíla & Oki with the Irish band, Kíla. His earlier solo albums include collaborations with the female Ainu singing group Marewrew, who sometimes appear in his live show as well. More recently, he has played with his own Oki Dub Ainu Band, which plays mostly traditional Ainu songs in an electric style which mixes dub rhythms with tonkori playing. During live concerts, he either plays with the Dub Ainu Band or as a solo acoustic act, singing and playing the tonkori.

Works

Albums, singles

• Hankapuy (feat. Umeko Ando)　March 20, 1999
• Kamuy Kor Nupurpe May 27, 2001
• No-One'S Land　June 2, 2002
• Dub Ainu　October 17, 2004
• Tonkori　May 12, 2005
• "Tóg É Go Bog É" (Single)　February 17, 2006 (Kíla and OKI)
• Kuma Shutsubotsu (熊出没^?), Greatest hits　- February 17, 2006
• Dub Ainu Deluxe　July 16, 2006
• Oki Dub Ainu Band December 3, 2006
• "Eternal Dub Serenade" May 30, 2007
• Sakhalin Rock July 14, 2010
• Himalayan Dub April 16, 2011

Collaborations

• IHUNKE　- Umeko Ando　- May 20, 2001
• UPOPO SANKE　- Umeko Ando　- December 14, 2003

Picture book

• Kanna Kamui to Musume (カンナカムイと娘^?)
  • Story - Ito Oda (小田イト^?),　Illustrations - OKI

Television

• Opening narration for K-tai Investigator 7

See also

• Ainu music

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Description at Farside Music
• OKI Profile on La Fábrica de Ideas (Spanish)
• OKI at HearJapan

Persondata
Name	Kano, Oki
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1957
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death