Zainichi Funk -- Mi ni Okoru（身に起こる）

 

A few years ago, I wrote about the funk band Zainichi Funk（在日ファンク）, led by vocalist Kenta Hamano（浜野謙太）because some of their songs have been able to be heard on television shows provided by NHK. Having been around since 2007, there is a definite James Brown flavour coming out of his performance.

Their first and only (for now) digital single came out in November 2022. "Mi ni Okoru" (Happens to Me), which was written and composed by Hamano with band saxophonist KIDS Hashimoto（橋本“KIDS”剛秀）also helping out on the music, is a bit more of a slow burn with a tropical flavour thanks to that steel pan drum. As well, there are points during the chorus when I feel that things are going toward a more collaborative Gospellers sound, but then by the end, the funk starts brewing once more with even a Brown-esque grunt bursting forth.

Speaking of collaborations, their website recently noted that Zainichi Funk worked with The God of Love Songs himself, Masayuki Suzuki（鈴木雅之）, on the NHK music show "SONGS" back in April.