Yoshito Kiyono
Harmonica Player, Composer
SEYDEL’s official harmonica endorser
Coming from a blues background, Yoshito Kiyono experimented with improv and electro sounds. He has been based in Paris since 2005. Active in the Parisian blues and Afro-music scenes, he collaborated in a number of European festivals with Hilaire Penda, Kiala, Lil’ Joe Barton and more…
Yoshito formed the Celtic-blues band Harmonica Creams in Japan, and went on to win the first prize at the Spanish Celtic music Festival “Festival de Ortigueira” in July 2012. In doing so, they made history by being the first-ever winner from outside of the Celtic cultural sphere. With such a modest instrument as the harmonica, he has created a unique sound that blends afro, blues and celtic influences, and has received accolades across genres.
Playing harmonica for Oriza Hirata’s theater piece and for Nao Tsuda’s photo exhibition, among others, has brought Yoshito Kiyono to be an active music director for dance, theater and fashion.
Today he is the first official endorser from Asia for the German traditional harmonica maker SEYDEL.
清野美土/Yoshito Kiyono
■ awards
– Carnaval Tropical de Paris：’07, ’08 2times winner of the “Best Choreography” prize (France)
– Festival de Ortigueira：’12 first prize of the “Lunas Project” (Spain)
■ Harmonica Cream’s CD albums /as the harmonica player, composer
’11 /Analyse de toucher (It was chosen as “one of the 10 best albums” in the world music magazine “Latina”.)
’12 /in + out = sea (i-Tunes world best seller in the categorie “Blues Country”)
’13 /tokyo live smokin’ (It has been featured in numerous Spanish, French and Japanese radio and magazines.)
’16 /Futura Ancient Alchemy
’18 /stereotype
■ collaborators
CAMEROON
・ Hilaire Penda / basse
ex : John Mclaughlin, John Scofield, Salif Keita, William ’Bootsy’ Collins
MALI
・ Kiala (sing, guitar) / ex : Fela Kuti
U.S.A.
・Danny ”MUDCAT” Dudeck (sing, guitar) / ex：Pine top Perkins, Frank Edwards
・Lil’ Joe Barton (trombone) / ex : B.B.King
・Mike Rodbard (sing, drums) / ex：Lonnie Brooks, Billy Branch
・Boney Fields (sing, trumpet) / ex : Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Albert Collins, Luther Alison
JAPAN
・Oriza Hirata (playwright, theatre director, japanese cabinet advisor, company Seinendan)
・Nao Tsuda (photographer, recipient of New Comer Prize of the Minister of Education Prize)
・Makoto Yano (composer, arranger, pianist, producer)
/ ex: Akiko Yano, Yosui Inoue, Haruomi Hosono, Tamio Okuda, Sunny day Service, The Boom
and more…
■ video