Mister Kelly’s, Osaka

Born in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Chie Hanawa first began learning to play the shamisen at nine years old. Remarkably, by the time she was only fourteen she had played a concert in Denver, Colorado and also performed at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York. In 1999, aged 17, she became the youngest champion ever in the Women’s A Division at the National Tsugaru Shamisen Competition held in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, and in January 2004 she released her debut album, Tsuki no Usagi. The album, produced by jazz pianist and composer Makoto Kuriya, included collaborations with a number of musicians, including violinists, cellists, shakuhachi (Japanese end-blown flute) players, and vocalists.
Although the shamisen is an old traditional instrument do not be fooled into expecting old traditional Japanese music, Hanawa’s latest album Hello World! has a track listing that includes Mission Impossible, The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood, and Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze!