“For Japanese people, min'yo is both the closest and most distant folk music,” says bandleader Katsumi Tanaka. “We may not feel it in our daily urban lives, yet its melodies, vocal styles, and taiko rhythms are in our DNA.” Initially indifferent to min'yo, Tanaka was drawn to it after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, exploring his identity through traditional Japanese music. Inspired by mid-20th century artists like Hibari Misora, Chiemi Eri and the Tokyo Cuban Boys—who blended min'yo with Latin and jazz—he formed Minyo Crusaders in Fussa, western Tokyo, alongside vocalist Freddie Tsukamoto.