artist
Kawachiya, Kikusuimaru
Personal Information
Born on February 14, 1963, in Yao, Osaka Prefecture, Kawachiya Kikusuimaru is a Japanese musician and singer specializing in Kawachi ondo folk music. He began his training in this genre at the age of nine under the guidance of his father, Kawachiya Kikusui. Kikusuimaru first gained national recognition in 1991 with his reggae-influenced track "Kakin Ondo," which was selected for a television advertisement promoting the recruitment magazine "From A." His career has been marked by international performances across diverse locations, ranging from Hawaii in 1983 to Baghdad in 1990 for the Iraq for peace festival, as well as a concert in Pyongyang in 1995. Beyond music, he works as a writer and newspaper contributor. His published works include Kikusuimaru's Scrapbook, an anthology compiling his articles originally written for the Osaka Shimbun.
