Later this week, big band AJATE will embark on a 19-date summer tour in Europe. With AJATE, Afro-grooves get mixed with Japanese traditional music. The musical group got formed in 2011 by bandleader John Imaeda.
After studying in Ghana and Burkina Faso, he connected the African DNA in Japanese musical sounds and created the musical ensemble where Edo festival-style taiko drums, shinobue flutes, Nigerian Afrobeat-inspiared bass and guitar, and energetic voices go hand-in-hand. Since then, AJATE are renowned for their fusion of Afrobeat, jazz, funk and Japanese traditional music and make use of traditional African and Japanese instruments. They have gained popularity for their energetic live performances and vibrant sound.
AJATE’s second album, ABRADA was a self-produced album released in 2017 and later on by French label 180g released on vinyl and CD in a hand-made bamboo case. This was received so well, that the music ensemble toured France in 2018, which was followed up with more tours in 2019 and 2022. In the meantime, they have released three albums, a single and two EPs.
With this upcoming tour in Europe, they will finally branch out and perform 18 shows in three countries, including big festivals such as WOMAD in the United Kingdom and Jazz A Vienne in France.
