Happyfunsmile wants you to have a good time

Happyfunsmile is known for its energetic performances. | Photo courtesy of Happyfunsmile

By Carolyn Chin
Voices

A band of men and women comes out to the stage, each member dressed up in a different colorful outfit, bearing instruments you may have never seen before. They burst into life with a mix of Japanese pop and traditional songs. The lead singer starts shouting in Japanese, attempting to rile up the crowd to join in on the action.

With a name like Happyfunsmile, you can take a good guess at what the band stands for. “Fun is our middle name,” said Brian Nishii, who is lead singer of the band that will perform from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday during the AAJA Silent Auction and Reception in the Seaport World Trade Center.

In 2004, Wynn Yamami and a few friends tossed around the idea of making music. It turned out to be anything but ordinary.

The New York City-based Okinawan music group presents a wide range of Japanese genres: enka ballads, Okinawan pop and folk songs from the 1920s through the 1960s. The music is full of energy and life. At points it can be dramatic, moody and dark. The next second, the pace can race frenetically, like a musical car chase.

At any given performance, any of the band’s 12 members may be present. “Whoever is available will come and play,” Yamami said.

“We’re like Menudo,” said Akiko Hiroshima, the band’s lead female vocalist. “Members come and go, you know? We keep evolving.”

The band uses keys, accordion, bass, chindon, sanshin, saxophone and vocals in its performances.

When it comes to finding a name, Yamami describes it in a way that’s easy for those accustomed to Asian culture to understand, mimicking T-shirts found in Asian countries that have English words sprawled across them just for the sake of it.

“You get these interesting combinations and it doesn’t make any sense,” Yamami said. “They’re just funny.”

The band’s name plays on that idiosyncrasy. But Happyfunsmile also has a deeper meaning. “It’s like America looking at Japan looking at America,” he explained. “I’m pretty sure people do not decode it that way, but it’s us playing with that.”

Happyfunsmile’s wide music range is reflected in where it performs and who its audience is. The band entertains anywhere from Japanese festivals to Japanese senior living homes to your basic New York City bar full of hipsters and Japanese music junkies.

But the band’s strongest connection is with the older generation of Japanese and Japanese Americans. “Being able to bring them live music and bringing old songs to life has been very rewarding,” Yamami said.

Re-creating an era that still sits heavily in the hearts of older Japanese and Japanese Americans is not only a part of the music, but also a part of Yamami, who is half Okinawan. “My grandmother recognizes it, so it’s nice to be doing some musical project that my parents and grandparents actually enjoyed listening to,” Yamami said.

This entry was posted on August 14, 2009 at 1:40 pm and is filed under Voices 2009. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.