Immerse yourself in jazz tonight too
File.2 “Chigusa Award” to discover new faces in the jazz world
(Mayuko Niimura/Jazz Cafe Chigusa)
2013. Jazz Cafe Chigusa established CHIGUSA Records to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Mamoru Yoshida. At the same time, the Chigusa Award was established to carry on Mamoru Yoshida's desire to ``nurturing young jazz musicians in Japan,'' and to discover and award outstanding new talent once a year.
While there are jazz competitions that have been going on for many years across the country, the `` Chigusa Award '' may be a young competition, only in its sixth year. However, the purpose of its establishment lies in Mamoru Yoshida's extraordinary respect for jazz and his passionate support for young musicians.
After the war, occupation forces flooded into Yokohama, and U.S. military facilities were built one after another in the town. At the same time, jazz became a huge boom, with a rapid increase in the number of young Japanese players playing at camps and nightclubs. Chigusa was always stocked with the latest and hottest records, and band members flocked to the store, making it a hangout spot.
Eventually, the number of US military clubs decreased, and the performance work for Japanese band members gradually decreased. As jazzmen began to come to Japan one after another from the home of America, the opportunities for Japanese players to perform became increasingly limited.
It was a very difficult time for young Japanese jazzmen who wanted to learn more about the essence of jazz and pursue their own sound.
Meanwhile, Mamoru Yoshida, who had seen young and unknown players continuing to visit Chigusa , listening to the sounds of records for hours on end, and working hard on their performances, took on various troubles, such as finding performance venues and organizing concerts. I was watching. Perhaps he saw himself in a young musician who was dedicated and serious about jazz, and they were pursuing their dreams together. Although he was called a ``weirdo,'' ``a stubborn old man,'' and ``scary!'', it is no exaggeration to say that his dedicated activities laid the foundation for the development of Japanese jazz.
The Chigusa Prize is the result of this passion and love.
Previous winners include female vocalist Mari Kanemoto in the 1st (2013), bassist Sada Endo in the 2nd (2014), flutist Erika Ogawa in the 3rd (2015), and 4th (2015). (2016) Male vocalist Akira Wada and 5th (2017) pianist Takehiro Chiba. All of them are wonderful young jazz musicians who are full of talent, and even after winning the award, they have been active in the field. If Mamoru Yoshida were alive, he would have been happy, even though he was saying all these things.
Recruitment for the 6th first round selection begins on July 1st. The second round will be held live and will be held at Jazz Spot Dollfie in October.
If you are passionate about jazz and believe that you are the one, please apply.
*For details about the Chigusa Award, see below.
https://chigusa-records.jimdo.com/
