As the end of the year fast approaches, people in Japan are already starting to get ready for one of the biggest television events of the year — the New Years television special "Kohaku Uta Gassen," or the Red and White Song Contest. The show, which has aired every year since its…
2021 marks the 40th year since Hotei first stood on the stage of the historic Tokyo club Shinjuku LOFT. The veteran artist will kick off his anniversary year with two headlining concerts at the prestigious Nippon Budokan on Jan. 30 and 31. Reflecting this age of “new normals,” the shows will be held with no audiences and livestreamed in an endeavor to virtually connect the world.
Breaking Down Guitarist Hotei’s Collaborative Album ‘Soul to Soul,’ Feat. Artists From Around the Globe Billboard 1/30/2021
Last November, Japan’s Hotei dropped his new collaborative album,
Soul to Soul, featuring a roster of international artists who joined the veteran rocker remotely from their respective locations to work together on the project.
The impressive list includes Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick of Incognito (U.K.), Zucchero (Italy), Nate Smith (U.S.A.), Calogero (France), Marc Lavoine (France), Carlinhos Brown (Brazil), and Yang Kun (China), plus top acts from Hotei’s home country, namely Kazuya Yoshii of THE YELLOW MONKEY, GLIM SPANKY, Kobukuro, and Kiyoshi Hikawa.