Yoko FUJIMOTO Distinguished Member

- Name:
- Yoko FUJIMOTO
- Date of Birth:
- July 23, 1952
- Birthplace:
- Shinjuku, Tokyo
Profile
Yoko Fujimoto joined Sado no Kuni Ondekoza in 1976, and went on to become a founding member of Kodo when it formed in 1981. After three years as a performer, she stepped down from the stage to edit the monthly Kodo Japanese-language newsletter and act as an instructor to the apprentices. In 1989, Fujimoto began to sing again and has been a principal vocalist with Kodo ever since. In addition to Kodo, she performs in a range of solo and small-group projects, including “Ninin-Angya” with Yoshikazu Fujimoto and “Hanayui” with Kodo’s Chieko Kojima & Okinawan dancer Mitsue Kinjo. Since 1998, Fujimoto has led “Voice Circle” workshops, one of her self-proclaimed “life works.” In 2008, she released her first solo album, “morisa komorisa.” She became a Kodo Distinguished Member in 2012, and began producing her own solo projects that the same year. In 2014, her second solo album, “Yamazu Megurumo,” was released. In 2016, Fujimoto joined local musicians on Sado Island to launch a new performance project, “Puremu.”