MAOSHO, a cross-cultural project by young Tsugaru shamisen master Sho Asano and jazz pianist/trumpeter Mao Sone, is releasing a long-awaited live recording from their highly successful New York performance in 2025.

Japanese folk songs meet Latin music. A sound originating from Japan that will reach the world. The song being released this time is a special arrangement version of "Yagibushi," a famous folk song from Gunma and Tochigi prefectures.

With a strong belief that "instead of bringing what already exists in the world, we should deliver music that can only be born in Japan," we boldly incorporated the flavor of Latin music while retaining the energy of summer Bon Odori festivals.

Furthermore, this album features Grammy Award-winning percussionist Keita Ogawa as a guest artist. Experience the unique groove where traditional Japanese music, jazz, and global beats intersect.

• Track name:

  Yagi-bushi (live in New York, feat. Sho Asano & Mao Sone)

• Artist:

  MAOSHO (Mao Sone - Piano | Sho Asano - Shamisen & Vocals), Keita Ogawa - Percussion

• Included:

  Scandinavia House, NYC (September 9, 2025)

• Label:

  MOONRISE RECORDS

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MAOSHO is a cross-cultural project by young Tsugaru shamisen master Sho Asano and jazz pianist/trumpeter Mao Sone. They explore the intersection of jazz, traditional Japanese music, and world music, creating a unique sound that fuses folk melodies with modern improvisation. Formed in 2025, they released their first single, "Komebushi/HIBIKI," through Avex. "HIBIKI" was selected as the theme song for MBS Weather Department's autumn 2025 season. In the same year, they successfully held their first overseas performance in New York, and are a Japanese-Western world music ensemble that is attracting considerable attention both domestically and internationally.