Jagatara | Artist

Jagatara was a Japanese new wave and funk rock band formed 1979 in Tokyo by frontman and vocalist Akemi Edo. The band had a revolving roster of players , but foundation members included Ebby (guitar), nabe (bass), Tokuyuki Kawabe (drums) and Hideki Ojima (guitar). In their early years, the band was originally inspired by early punk, new wave/post-punk and no wave movements. They are renowned for their unique sound, which has been described as a mixture of punk rock, funk and reggae. Akemi has mentioned the hardcore punk band The Stalin, led by Michiro Endo, as an early influence. Also NYC No-Wave cult figure James Chance of The Contortions was another major influence of his. In April 1981 the band self released their first 7" single "Last Tango In Juku", still under the early name of Zaidanhōjin Jagatara, on their own label Ugly Orphans Records. After the new guitarist Oto joined them in September 1981 Jagatara's music style shifted towards more funk and afrobeat-based rock. Their first album Nanban-torai was released in May 1982. The band was finally signed to the major label RCA in 1989 and they released two albums that same year. In January 1990 they disbanded after Akemi's death. Edo died "in an accident while taking a bath" on January 27, 1990. Standout Jagatara albums include Nanban torai (1982), The Naked King (1987), Nise yogen-sha domo "False Prophecy" (1987) and Gokutsubushi "Crushing" (1989). Jagahara's broad musical approach resulted in collaborations with differing artists from around the world, such as Japanese dub band Mute Beat, US avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn, and South African female band Mahotella Queens.

Artist Website: wikipedia/Jagatara

Featured Albums: Jagatara

Related Artists: The Stalin