Shoka Okubo is a Japanese musician, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and drummer. She started playing the drums at 7 years old, before moving on to learn the guitar at age 13. After watching a movie on the ‘Blues Brothers’, she developed an interest and love for blues music. Some of her favourite blues musicians include T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Inez Andrews, and Laura Lee.
In 2014, she formed the Shoka Okubo Blues Project with bassist Juna Serita and drummer Maktomo Sonohara. These three session musicians who were all inspired by roots music. Having performed at Fuji Rock, one of the biggest music festivals in Japan, the band has now set their sights on eventually going worldwide.
These young women have got some serious talent and are not afraid to show it. As for the show, the rhythm is kept steady and true by adorable Juna, who smiled brighter than the sun had all day, and vocalist Shoka rocked amazing guitar solos between her warm and soulful vocal gymnastics. The two girls play a sassy and unapologetic set with inspiration taken not just from Nashville, but the Caribbean and one of their favourite bands, Tedeschi Trucks Band. Though short, their stage presence and funky beats stole the Crystal Palace-bound crowd from their original destination and were all the happier for it.
The most impressive feat by far, though, was the five songs they played that night were written specifically for that one Fuji Rock performance! As soon as they found out they had been accepted to play on the Rookie stage, they set about writing and rehearsing, making sure their music completely new experience for every single member of the audience.
