Echoes of Japan

Many Japanese musicians have a seemingly innate ability to enthusiastically adopt music of other cultures, and to take them to places not previously explored. In the case of Minyo Crusaders, it's the rearrangement of traditional Japanese min'yō (folk) songs into a panoply of Latin and Afro-Caribbean styles. Their debut album arrives after having spent several years on the Tokyo music scene, gradually expanding into a ten-piece band, including a horn section and multiple percussionists.

The stated intention of the group is to return the min'yō repertoire to their traditional position as songs of the people. Indeed, the songs here were originally sung by fishermen (‘Kushimoto Bushi’), coal miners (‘Tanko Bushi’), and sumo wrestlers (‘Sumo Jinku’), and are frequently imbued with dry humour. The music itself would feel more like a gimmick, were it not for the sheer range of styles explored, as well as the skill and love of the arrangements.

From bouncing cumbia and Afrobeat to gentle bolero and reggae, the band show a confident mastery of all the genres they cover. The soaring melodies of min'yō songs lend themselves well to the urban groove of Latin and Afro music, and as such the fusion never feels contrived. The production of the album gives it the warmth of an old record, with dub delays, synthesizers and organs coating many of the songs in a languid psychedelic haze.