George Kamikawa

George hails from Japan but moved to Australia in 2000’s to make his life as a busker musician.  He has spent the last 15 years honing his skills to become an exemplary country blues artist.  His playing is typified by its raw energy and broad tonal range-from delicate harmonics to searing rips and slides on guitar, soulful singing and driving rhythms on harmonica.

The instruments George plays are slide guitar, lap steel guitar, harmonica, kick drum with his left foot and drum pedals (snare, high hat, cymbal etc) with his right. Much like a one man band.

Known as the Japanese Blues Cowboy he has played at various venues and festivals throughout  Australia and overseas. Winning the Tamworth Country Music Busking Championships in 2003 and playing regularly on the legendary Blues Train in Queenscliff since 2005.

He has appeared in the media a few times including an article in  ʻThe Ageʼ newspaper, on ʻAbsolutely Melbourneʼ from channel 7 which was a segment about buskers in Melbourne, Spicks and Specks, Japanese TV show 『ぐっと地球便』, Footy Show and Australia’s got talent, etc.  You can sometimes catch him busking in Bourke St mall in the Melbourne cbd.

George has been playing as one part of a duo with Noriko Tadano who plays shamisen. Shamisen is a traditional Japanese instrument with a banjo like sound. George and Noriko’s music is a blend of blues and traditional Japanese music.  With Noriko, George has won the Australian Busking Championships at Mortlake in 2008  and they were a finalist on Australia’s Got Talent,  They released their second album “Howlin’ Sun”(available on iTunes) and did a Japan tour in 2016.

He has played at various events and festivals including National Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, WOMADelaide, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Blues on Broadbeach 2013, Bruthen Blues Festival 2015, Caloundra Music Festival 2015 & 2016, Illawarra Folk Festival 2012 & 2017, Blue Mountains Music Festival 2012, 2014 & 2017, CubaDupa Festival in NZ 2017, Powell Street festival in Vancouver Canada and Marysville Jazz & Blues Weekend 2018etc.

Since 2015 George has performed on cruise ships throughout the world.

2018 George successfully completed a Canada tour. Including Bay & Algoma Busker Festival (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada),Ottawa International Busker Festival (Ontario, Canada) , Downtown Victoria Buskers Fest (BC,Canada).

George’s banter and easy interaction make him a popular choice with audiences.  George was also featured on TV shows in Japan about his music life in Australia. He is currently keeping busy with shows and music festivals throughout Australia and overseas.