The start of summer begins with the first round of selection for the Chigusa Award!

I'm completely immersed in jazz again tonight.
File 2: The Chigusa Award for discovering new talent in the jazz world
(Mayuko Niimura / Jazz Cafe Chigusa)

In 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 wish to "nurture young jazz musicians in Japan" and to discover and honor outstanding new talent once a year.

While there are many long-running jazz competitions across Japan, the " Chigusa Prize " may be considered a young competition, only in its sixth year. However, its founding principles are rooted in Mamoru Yoshida's extraordinary love for jazz and his passionate support for young musicians.

After the war, the Allied occupation forces poured into Yokohama, and U.S. military facilities sprang up one after another throughout the town. At the same time, jazz became a huge boom, and the number of young Japanese musicians playing in camps and nightclubs increased dramatically. Chigusa , which always stocked the latest and hottest records, became a hangout spot for band members.
Eventually, the number of U.S. military clubs decreased, and the opportunities for Japanese band members to perform gradually declined. With jazz musicians increasingly coming to Japan from the United States, the venues for Japanese players to perform became increasingly limited.
For young Japanese jazz musicians who wanted to learn more about the essence of jazz and pursue their own unique sound, it became an extremely difficult time.

Amidst all this, Mamoru Yoshida watched as young, unknown players continued to frequent Chigusa , listening intently to records for hours and diligently practicing their music. He took care of them in various ways, such as finding performance venues and organizing concerts. Perhaps he saw himself in these earnest and serious young musicians and chased their dreams alongside them. He was called an "eccentric," a "stubborn old man," and "intimidating," but it would not be an exaggeration to say that his dedicated activities laid the foundation for the development of Japanese jazz.
These passionate feelings and love have been passed down and given form in the form of the " Chigusa Award ."

The award has previously been given to five individuals: Mari Kanemoto (female vocalist, 1st award, 2013), Sadao Endo (bassist, 2nd award, 2014), Erina Ogawa (flutist, 3rd award, 2015), Akira Wada (male vocalist, 4th award, 2016), and Takehiro Chiba (pianist, 5th award, 2017). All of them are outstanding young jazz musicians with exceptional talent, and they have continued to be highly successful since receiving the award. If Mamoru Yoshida were still alive, he would surely have been pleased, despite any reservations he might have had.

Applications for the 6th round of selections began on July 1st. The second round of selections will be held live and is scheduled to take place at Jazz Spot Dolphy in October.

If you feel that your passion for jazz is something that defines you, we encourage you to apply.

*For more details about the Chigusa Prize, see below.
https://chigusa-records.jimdo.com/