The Fujii

The Fujii is the collective name for the duo of Koichi Fujishima, aka 'Fuji', and Paul Shearsmith, who met during the Christmas holidays of 1994 when Fuji was busking in York. Fuji is a Japanese artist, author, slide guitar player and singer. Paul is an English player of pocket trumpet, tuned gas main, baliphone and hand flute. Fuji is a true folk musician, with his music deeply rooted in that of his heroes, Fred McDowell, Son House and Bukka White, but at the same time, consciously or not, in the folk music of his Japanese background.

Fuji is a Japanese artist, author, slide guitar player and singer. Paul is an English player of pocket trumpet, tuned gas main, baliphone and hand flute. Fuji is a true folk musician, with his music deeply rooted in that of his heroes, Fred McDowell, Son House and Bukka White, but at the same time, consciously or not, in the folk music of his Japanese background. He sounds perfectly at home singing his Japanese lyrics to these pentatonic blues scales; something like a Japanese Rainer. Paul Shearsmith adds utterly modern pocket trumpet, blown and sucked pieces of metal and plastic tubing, turning this music into post avant-folk.

Their first album 'anyway what time did you get up this morning' was released in 2001. In 2001 this duo was augmented with the addition of Fumica on violin, successfully taking the roll previuosly held by the harmonica. In 2003 the second album 'we pray the brooze' was released to similar acclaim as the first.

http://www.myspace.com/thefujii