Hiroharu Kamii

Hiroharu Kamii

For Kumamoto, Japan-born Hiroharu Kamii, traditional Japanese instruments like Wa-daiko (Japanese Drum) and Shamisen (three-stringed lute instrument) and traditional Japanese music like Min'yō (Japanese folk music) have always been a part of his life because of his family. His earliest musical experiences came from his father, a Wa-daiko drummer who founded the Ozu-daiko style, and his mother, a Min'yō singer; he got his start on stage performing Wa-daiko and Min'yō with his brothers. At age 22, he began an 8-year education of the Tsugaru-jamisen style under master musician Tendai Fukui. From 2008-2011 Hiroharu was a singer, songwriter and drummer in the visual kei rock band LEON. Launching his solo career in 2012, he created a new music style ShamiRock, which is a fusion of rock and Japanese classical music with electric shamisen. In 2014, he took first place in the competitive South Kyushu Shamisen Tournament. He recently performed on Niconico chokaigi3 hosted by Niconico Douga, and Kumamoto castle festival.