Brasil-Shokai
The trio with rarely known style of music: Jazz-samba. Brasil with "s" because of their respect to native spelling of Brazil. Their hometown is the port town Yokohama and also play frequently in Capital Tokyo.
The ensemble which has its roots in samba percussions reflects their journey throughout rhythms and arranges of jazz, bossa-nova and samba, looking for an authentic jazz-samba style.
Furthermore, an ambitiousness in creating a contemporary style of jazz-samba makes them compose their original music.
Koya Furudate
Born in Kanagawa prefecture.
At his 14 years of age he started playing electric bass. His favorite was hard rock and heavy metal and he had frequented playing in Tokyo. After graduation from high school entered AN Music School and there he met his mentors Masaaki Mizuno and Tatsuhiko Hizawa.
Now he lives as a session musician of pop, rock and fusion music, composer of movie music, teacher of bass and since 2010, a bassist of Brazil-Shokai.
Natsumi Sawai
Born in Kanagawa prefecture.
Since 4 years old she has studied piano and composing. Once she had been an ordinary business person but entered Collage of Tokyo Shobi Music and Media Arts. Learned jazz piano with her mentor Kiminori Atsuta.
In 2010 she tripped to Brazil, played and played in big cities such as Belo Horisonte, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
She takes a part of a percussionist too in a Japanese samba school "Saúde" (samba school is a authentic samba group, not actually a "school" you imagine) and mixes up technics of piano and percussion.
Working as a private music teacher she plays in various bands and units mainly of the Brazilian music.
Soeji
Born in Ibaraki prefecture.
His family manages a kindergarten and he grew up there. At 18 he started playing drums and was fascinated by Miles Davis playing "Time after Time". Then he decided to be a jazz-man. He graduated Senzoku-Gakuen Music Collage where he had majored jazz with Professor Osamu Matsuyama and Youichi Okabe.
In 2009 he went to Brazil and learned local music, foods and culture as much as he could. Nowadays he cooks Brazilian food in a diner "barracão", writes liner notes, plays Brazilian music and leads the Brazil-Shokai.
History
2006 The trio was formed by Natsumi Sawai, Sou Ishizuka and Soeji
2008 Released the first album "Brazil-Shokai"
2010 Koya Furudate took place of Sou Ishizuka as a double bass and the trio started for authentic Jazzsamba
2011 Since the live in Yokohama Jazz Ken (Yokohama Jazz Studies), the trio has frequented in lives in Yokohama making people recognize Jazzsamba
2012 In Sound Olympic at Motion Blue Yokohama won so many votes of audience and granted themselves to show up in the next year's event
2013 Showed in the second Sound Olympic. Released second album "RENASCENÇA DO JAZZSAMBA"
2014 Hosted first Jazzsamba Festival in Tokyo
2015 Hosted second Jazzsamba Festival in Tokyo. Released 3rd album JAZZSAMBISMO and made Motion Blue YOKOHAMA full in its release party