Profile:

The Ainu Roots Band, led by OKI, revived the traditional string instrument of the Ainu people, the Tonkori, for the modern era.

 

The band members include OKI on Tonkori, guitar, and vocals; Tai Ibuki, a proud Ainu from Hokkaido, on Tonkori and chorus, renowned for his spirited “rimse” (Ainu tradition, a style of performance that one dances singing, Naoshi Numazawa, a groove master and esteemed drummer, Taku Nakajo, a powerhouse bassist known for his commanding presence in THEATRE BROOK and blues. the-butcher, Naoyuki Uchida, a recording, mixing, and live engineer who creates unique sonic spaces, and HAKASE-SUN, one of Japan's foremost reggae keyboardists, active in bands like LITTLE TEMPO and KODAMA AND THE DUB STATION BAND.

 

Their electrified Tonkori, reinforced with a heavy live sound through bass and drums, blends traditional Ainu songs such as upopo (vocals), and rimse (dance), with Afro grooves, reggae, and rock, creating a transcultural dub sound that has gained popularity. With a strong presence at international festivals, they made their mark in Japan with the release of their album, OKI DUB AINU BAND in 2006. They have toured extensively worldwide, including appearances at WOMAD, the world's largest world music festival, in Asia, America, and Europe, as well as numerous festivals and events in Japan. In July 2010, they released the album Sakhalin Rock after four years, followed by performances in Taiwan and Nepal, among others. In spring 2011, they released the dub mix album Himalayan Dub by OKI and Naoyuki Uchida, sharing the same title.

 

In March 2016, they released the highly anticipated new album UTARHYTHM. In March 2017, they were confirmed to perform at WOMADelaide in Australia.