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Surfboard Guitar Hero: Japanese Star's UK Comeback
2 Mar
Summary
- Masayoshi Takanaka's UK concerts sold out, upgraded venues due to high demand.
- YouTube exposed his 70s/80s Japanese fusion music to a new Western audience.
- Takanaka, now 72, feels his career has experienced a significant 'second coming'.
Masayoshi Takanaka, the 72-year-old Japanese jazz fusion guitarist known for his surfboard-shaped guitar, is embarking on a world tour, including multiple sold-out shows in the UK. Originally scheduled for a smaller venue, demand led to an upgrade to London's Brixton Academy, with a festival appearance also planned.
Takanaka's career, which began in the 1970s with pioneering Japanese fusion and later saw significant success in Japan with chart-topping albums and collaborations, was largely unknown in the West. However, a surge in popularity on YouTube, driven by algorithmic recommendations of his 1970s and 1980s music, introduced him to a global audience.
This unexpected revival has led to sold-out concerts in Los Angeles, where he noted a predominantly young audience, and a world tour encompassing the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand. Takanaka, who once planned to retire, now feels his career has been dramatically revitalized, embracing this "second coming" with renewed energy and purpose.
