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Minyo Crusaders (Japanese: 民謡クルセイダーズ) is a Japanese musical group that reworks traditional Japanese folk songs (min'yō) with arrangements inspired by various international music genres, including Caribbean, Latin and African music. The group was co-founded by Katsumi Tanaka and Freddie Tsukamoto, with the goal of reviving min'yō as a "music for the people".

The pair played casually around Fussa for a number of years with an assortment of musicians dropping in and out and eventually including Fussa "drumming legend" Sono. The turning point came when Tokyo roots scene veteran DADDY U joined the band as bass player and provided connections to a varied pool of musicians working across Tokyo. Through him the rest of the band was introduced.

They released their first album, Echoes of Japan in 2017 on P-Vine Records. In the album the Minyo Crusaders attempt to bring back Min'yo back to its 'common man' origins, going against the recent trend that Min'yo at-large had of appealing to the upper classes despite its working class roots. The album was later reissued on Mais Um in 2019.

Members

The band's official Facebook page announced on 27 December 2019 that DADDY U was having difficulty touring and had played his last concert with the Minyo Crusaders.

On December 11, 2023, Meg announced via twitter that she would be leaving the Minyo Crusaders.

Support Members

Several musicians play and tour with the band regularly, some for several years, but are credited as "support members".

These include: Midori Takenoko (vo, musical accompaniment), Toshio ‘Digi’ Fujino (bass), Yusuke Noguchi (trumpet), Kayoko Yuasa (trombone), Madokorona Oya (congas).

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

References

1. Romero, Angel (1 June 2019). "Artist Profiles: Minyo Crusaders". World Music Central. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
2. Houghton, Edwin (15 May 2019). "Minyo Crusaders Armor Japanese Folk Music for the Post-Modern Age". Bandcamp. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
3. Romero, Angel (1 June 2019). "Artist Profiles: Minyo Crusaders". World Music Central. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
4. "Echoes Of Japan = エコーズ・オブ・ジャパン". Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
5. Wiser, Danny (19 March 2021). "JAPAN: Echoes of Japan - Minyo Crusaders". 200worldalbums.com. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
6. Spencer, Neil (28 April 2019). "Minyo Crusaders: Echoes of Japan review – unlikely fusion's great grooves". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
7. "Minyo Crusaders / 民謡クルセイダーズ's post". facebook.com (in Japanese). 27 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
8. Meg (11 December 2023). 《大切なお知らせ》この度、私/megは諸事情により民謡クルセイダーズを辞めることになりました。 [Important notice. I/meg have decided to quit the Minyo Crusaders for various reasons.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 January 2025 – via Twitter.
9. "Minyo is Back in Town 2025 New Year at Cotton Club". cottonclub.com (in Japanese). 3 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
10. "Minyo Crusaders - 民謡クルセイダーズ｜Artists｜Blue Note Tokyo". bluenote.co.jp. 29 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2025.

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