Takuro okada –

Konoma

For years, Takuro Okada has carried a quiet question: how can a Japanese musician honor the music of African Americans without simply borrowing it? That search shapes his new album Konoma, a work guided by the idea of "Afro Mingei." The Tokyo guitarist, producer, and bandleader has lived inside this tension since childhood, drawn to blues, jazz, and funk records that nourished him, yet hesitant in the face of the histories they hold. The concept of Afro Mingei, which Okada first encountered in an exhibition by artist Theaster Gates, gave him a way forward. Gates connected Black aesthetics with Japanese folk craft, both rooted in resistance - "Black is Beautiful" defying racism, the Mingei movement preserving everyday beauty against industrial erasure. That kinship became the compass for Konoma, a record attuned to echoes across cultures and time.

Country of Pressing	US
Artist	Takuro Okada
Released	2025
Music Genre	Blues and Pop / Rock
Label	KONOMA
Condition	New
UPC	850054840301
SKU	al-850054840301

1.1 Mahidere Birhan
1.2 Sunrise
1.3 Nefertite
1.4 Galaxy
1.5 November Owens Valley
1.6 Portrait of Yanagi
1.7 Love
1.8 Acute Angle Black Button