East meets West in Melbourne

Quick, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the name Melbourne? Perhaps, if you've been there already you would think all of the many eclectic little cafes along the alleyways and arcades of this beautiful city. The sports fans, of course, would probably think of The Australian open. But what about music? What kind of music comes to your mind when you think of Melbourne? It probably isn't Japanese music, right? But fitting in with the eclectic character of this city, that is exactly what I saw and heard on the streets of Melbourne. Two japanese musicians, George Kamikawa, and Noriko Tadano, were able to artistically and stylistically combine two completely unrelated musical genres, namely traditional Japanese music, and western country/blues rock

Their unique music transcends the boundaries between East and West by seamlessly fusing blues' infectious energy with the soulful intensity of traditional Japanese music.

They have performed throughout Australia and Japan for various music events, festivals, even solo performances at the renowned Sydney Opera House. In Japan, Noriko won the 'Head Judges' Special Award' at the National Japanese Shamisen Competition in Hirosaki.

George Kamikawa is also from Japan, has been honing his skills to become a country/blues artist for the last 10 years, and won the Busking Championship in Mortlake, Victoria in 2008. Together with Noriko, he made it to the semi-finals in Australia's Got Talent.

If you're in or around Melbourne, make sure to check them out playing on the streets in the CBD, and look for their unique fusion at festivals and events throughout Australia.

For more information and to check out some of their latest musical concoctions, make sure to visit their MySpace pages:

Noriko Tadano
George Kamikawa

And like them on Facebook:

Eastern Traditonoal Music fused with Western Blues Energy - a winning combination and something that should not be missed. 

YouTube video

While you're at it, don't miss this short clip from their recent performance on Australia's got Talent: Australia's got Talent Clip