Biography
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Years Active
2005 – present (19 years)
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Founded In
Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan
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Members
- 中村洋貴
- 前川真悟 (2005 – present)
- 宮平直樹 (2008 – present)
- 新屋行裕
かりゆし58 (Kariyushi 58) is a four-man rock band from Okinawa, Japan. "Kariyushi" is an Okinawan term that has a very auspicious meaning, and is itself a symbol of Okinawa. Okinawa's main highway is National Route 58, and just as that road crosses the sea and connects with Kyushu, the band wants their music to cross the sea and resound in Japan.
A mélange of rock, traditional Okinawan elements, and reggae influences, their music transmits an atmosphere of chirudai, or "sacred laziness," (an almost spiritual, relaxed mood) that Okinawans have identified as something that distinguishes them from mainland Japanese. Upbeat and celebratory in tone, it might be described as positive floating rock. Melody lines that pierce the heart and the vocalist's direct, earnest voice have been cited as the Kariyushi 58's greatest charms. According to their singer, the band's songs are fairly simple because musically, their goal is to express their message using the minimum necessary words and sounds, so the components of each song are carefully chosen and the unnecessary elements cut out.
Biography
Kariyushi 58 was formed in 2005 from the three high school friends Maekawa Shingo (vocals/bass), Shinya Yukihiro (guitar), and Nakamura Hiroki (drums). However in 2008 they acquired a fourth member, Miyahira Naoki (guitar). In February 2006, the unknown band broke into the Japanese music scene with a release of seven songs, whose title track Koibito Yo also appeared on the compilation CD Smart 10th & 200th ANNIVERSARY alongside famous mainland Japanese bands like THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT and Maximum the Hormone.
In July they released the single Anmā, which means "mother" in their native language, in limited edition format only for Okinawa. To promote their CD, the band flew to Tokyo where they did their first oneman in mainland Japan. The exhibition was opened by Fuji Television on a specially installed stage and was a huge success. An Oricon news article reporting on the event referred to them as the "New Star" of Okinawa. In August, the single including Anmā's PV went on sale throughout Japan.
After releasing the eight-track album Ūji no Uta, the band entered 2007, a year which would see the releases of the single Te to Te, which ranked tenth on the Oricon Indies chart for nine consecutive weeks, and a thirteen-track album, Sorosoro, Kariyushi, which ranked first on the same chart two weeks in a row. The following year proved to be another exciting year for the band with the releases of singles Ukui Uta in May, Kibō no Uta in September and Nana in November.
The year 2009 saw the release of another single, Sayonara in February, followed two months later by the group's second full album, Dēji, Kariyushi, followed by two more singles. The following year in 2010 has already been a big year for the tireless band, bringing a number of singles and their third full album, Mensōre, Kariyushi. The first of their singles this year, Ame Nochi Hare, reached second on the Oricon Top Indies Singles chart and was used as the theme song for the film "Kazura," gaining the group wider recognition.
Maekawa's goal of having the group's music cross the ocean has already been achieved, but Kariyushi 58 is showing no signs of slowing down and will definitely have much more in store for their fans in the future.
Official Websites
http://www.ldandk.com/kariyushi58/ (Japanese)
http://ameblo.jp/kariyushi58/ (Japanese)
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