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Miho Wada

Japanese-born New Zealander Miho Wada leads her pocket-sized jazz orchestra on flute and saxophone, performing her unique style of music described in the media as "Afro-Cuban flute meets J-Pop". Growing up in the seaside town of Miyazaki, Japan and later Christchurch, New Zealand, she seamlessly blends stylish contemporary jazz with her unique pan-pacific flavour. After completing her Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance at the University of Canterbury, she moved to London for further study at the Trinity College of Music. She worked for the National Orchestra of Malta in Valletta for a short time before deciding to challenge her creativity and explore other musical possibilities. Miho’s talent was spotted by Nigel Kennedy at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, and she later performed jazz trio concerts with him across the UK. Subsequently she started composing original material while playing jazz, latin, salsa, rock, pop, ska and other world music. During her time at the Trinity College of Music she performed around London with Noel Billingsley as Florestar flute and guitar duo. They performed at many venues including the Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, BMW headquarters, and for Gordon Ramsay’s book launch. She also worked as a session musician in London and as a touring musician across Europe. Miho developed a strong passion for Cuban El Son music and in 2008 she studied in Havana with members of Sierra Maestra and the Buena Vista Social Club, spending a further two months in Santiago de Cuba and training under members of Kotumba and Sones de Oriente. In 2009 Miho recorded “The Passenger” with Iggy Pop for a series of TV adverts in which she played flute and piano. The adverts later won the Grand Prix Prize at the Cannes Film Festival as well as several other international awards. She has also performed with Jarvis Cocker and toured around the world with Ska Cubano, including main-stage performances at WOMAD festivals. While touring for WOMAD she was lucky enough to be mentored by Seun Kuti on saxophone. On her return to New Zealand in 2009 Miho started performing her original works, and the following year debuted her music internationally at SXSW in Austin, Texas. In 2011 she formed Miho’s Jazz Orchestra, purposefully combining established musicians from a variety of different genres. Their inaugural performance celebrated the release of her first instrumental jazz EP “Para Tí”. Eccentric electric violin virtuoso Pascal Roggen regularly performs internationally and has appeared at festivals such as Glastonbury and WOMAD, as well as headlining at jazz festivals in Germany, Russia, the UK and New Zealand.

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Album Review

Miho Wada: Para Ti

Read "Para Ti" reviewed by Lawrence Peryer


Good things can indeed come in small packages. Flutist Miho Wada's Para Ti, for example, clocks in at just a hair over 20 minutes, with five melodic and catchy songs that manage to combine sharp musicianship with a sense of whimsy and fun. Para Ti was issued as a companion piece to a Wada's PLAY M!HO, a musical score book geared towards teaching jazz and improvisation to children. The music here is serious but does not seem ...

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By Lawrence Peryer, All About Jazz Good things can indeed come in small packages. Flutist Miho Wada's Para Ti, for example, clocks in at just a hair over 20 minutes, with five melodic and catchy songs that manage to combine sharp musicianship with a sense of whimsy and fun. By 17 dots, Notes from digital underground, USA Naming her style “Japanese Punk Jazz,” Miho finds a way to make jazz flute sound both romantic and badass. Performing and training with a diverse group of musicians like Nigel Kennedy, Buena Vista Social Club, and Iggy Pop (among others), Miho sounds to be developing a very distinctive and enjoyable voice

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Primary Instrument

Flute

Location

Auckland

Buena Vista Social Club
band / ensemble / orchestra
Astor Piazzolla
bandoneon

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Mystery Banana

Florestar
2014

buy

EXIT 621

Florestar
2013

buy

Para Ti

Florestar
2011

buy

Wanderland

Self Produced
0

buy

Claudia's Holiday

From: EXIT 621
By Miho Wada

Seaside Love Walk

From: Wanderland
By Miho Wada

Fancy Tango

From: Para Ti
By Miho Wada

Videos

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