Japanese singers Ohira Shosei and Mamehara Issei from the 11-member J-pop band JO1 recently came to India for their maiden visit to the country, and they admit to have fallen in love with it at first sight. “It was crazy. It was very fun and we were very happy to get to know a lot about this new culture,” Mamehara Issei says, while Ohira Shosei adds, “Everyone walking around in India was very warm and welcoming, so I felt very happy and at home over here.”
The JO1 band is set to release their next song Hands In My Pocket next month, and they are grateful for the global reach their music has had. “Currently, be it the Japanese or any kind of music, the beats reach to everyone. There are a lot of world tours which a lot of artistes do now, which is how the music keeps expanding,” Mamehara notes.
Watch their full video interview here:
Talking about their global fanbase, Ohira says, “We love the fact that everyone from all over the world is listening to our music right now. We did not think that there would be a day where the music we make will be heard by people all over the world. This also gave us the opportunity to come to India. So, we are very happy about it. We love it.” And taking a cue from the Indian culture, they now want to incorporate it into their music. “When we had gone to Hawaii, we learned their dance form and inculcated that in one of our music videos. After coming to India, we have learned a few Bollywood dance steps. So next time when we make a video, we want to try to include that in it,” Mamehara shares.
The duo came to India this time to experience the country’s culture, and they got to listen to a variety of Indian music too. “We listened to a lot of music but one of my favorites was Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire, 2008). While it is an Indian song, somehow it did not feel purely Indian and it was a very fresh kind of experience for us to listen to,” Mamehara says, as Ohira adds, “I watched a lot of Indian music videos and the first thing that I noticed was how there are so many people dancing in the videos. So, if I shoot a video in India sometime, I am looking forward to dancing with a huge team.”
The India artiste on their wish list to collaborate with is AR Rahman, whom they recently met too. “He is creating and producing a lot of music not just in India but also overseas. Because of that, he can teach us about the best parts of Indian music as well as take the best parts of music from all over the world. So, if we get an opportunity to collaborate with him, it would be special,” Mamehara says.
The Japanese singers also indulged in Indian cuisine and loved the street food–vada pav and samosas. But the biggest highlight for them was paan. “The moment that I had pan was the biggest impression that India left on me. It was a huge shock to have that taste, it was completely new,” Mamehara says, adding that he now wants to try different versions of paan. The duo promises to return to India soon with the entire band and organise a concert for their fans. “We want our Indian fans to learn more about our strengths and the music that we make. So, the next time when we come, we definitely want to do concerts, fan meetings and also go for a lot of meals with our fans,” Ohira ends.
