Artist Profile
Isamu ShimojiBorn in 1969 in Hirara, Miyakojima City, Okinawa, Japan.
A singer-songwriter who creates and performs original songs mainly in Miyako-futsu, the native language of his home island Miyakojima. His music blends blues, reggae, and folk influences, delivering a soulful sound rooted in the spirit of the islands.
After graduating from Miyako High School, he moved to Tokyo at the age of 18. Though his early years in Tokyo were far from music, a turning point came at 30 when he began his career as a singer-songwriter after returning to Okinawa.
Now based on the Okinawa main island, he performs actively throughout Japan and overseas. In addition to his solo work, he collaborates with Yukito Ara in THE SAKISHIMA meeting and with Masaru Shimabukuro of BEGIN in Shimobuku Records. He has also written songs for many artists and companies, including Hiromi Iwasaki and Rimi Natsukawa.
He has received several prestigious honors, including the Miyara Choho Music Award Special Prize in 2006, the FM Osaka Award at the 10th Internet Music Festival Kashu Navi in 2007, and the Okinawa Block Award at the 11th CD Shop Awards in 2019 for his album GAFU.
In 2023, he was awarded the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Commendation Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan for his outstanding contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Miyakojima language Miyako-futsu through songwriting and performance, enhancing its cultural prestige and supporting Japans initiatives for endangered languages.
Genre: J-PopOrigin: Miyakojima, Okinawa
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