Copa Salvo: the Japanese jazz outfit that embraced Latin music
Jazz might have originated in the underground clubs of the United States, but it is truly a global genre, taking its early roots from the musical traditions of Africa. Across the globe, each nation has had its own love affair with the innovative genre, each leaving their own distinctive mark on jazz history. One such nation which has always fostered a particularly vibrant jazz scene is Japan, which was first exposed to the style during the early 20th century, as a result of transpacific voyagers.
Particularly in the period following World War Two, Japan experienced a boom in the popularity of jazz music. Aside from worshipping American artists like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and, later down the line, John Coltrane, the island nation also produced their own jazz musicians. Often these Japanese jazz artists would mix the improvisational quality of jazz with the age-old musical traditions of the nation, creating something entirely new and unique in the process.
Although the popularity of jazz in Japan has waned over the years, as is the case worldwide, many of the groups produced by its inventive scene have continued to find appreciators for their sound. Among them, one of Japan’s most individualistic outfits is Copa Salvo, who emerged from Tokyo’s jazz scene during the early 2000s. While many jazz acts from Japan made a name for themselves by blending American-style jazz with Japanese traditional music, Copa Salvo chose instead to embrace the sun-soaked sounds of Latin jazz and dance music.
Latin America boasts an incredibly rich cultural history, of which music is a key aspect. From the styles of cumbia, which originated in Colombia, to the vibrant expressionism of Brazilian bossa nova, the region is awash with infectious music. For Copa Salvo, the allure of Latin music was too great to ignore, and they sought to bring its distinctive rhythm to the streets of Tokyo. Their 2002 self-titled debut album already established this unexpected blend of cultures, but as the band progressed, they delved further and further into Latin and Afro-Cuban influences.
Loveletter from Far East, released in 2006 exclusively for the Japanese market, is a particularly good introduction to the sound of Copa Salvo. Despite the band’s jazz origins, the album adopts a sound much closer to Latin funk and soul, bordering on bossa nova at points. Far from being a poor interpretation of the South American sound, however, the band managed to imbue their own backgrounds and influences with the timeless sound of Latin funk, culminating in a sound like no other.
As with any great band putting out an inventive new sound, the musical mainstream was not interested in Copa Salvo. So, after only three albums, Eri Konishi, Hironori Kobayashi, Peach Iwasaki, Tadahiro Masuda, and Yo Sato went on hiatus. However, during that period when the band had dissolved, Copa Salvo began to amass a cult following, thanks to jazz obsessives and vinyl collectors seeking out rare Japanese records.
As a result, the band reformed during the late 2010s, releasing a string of singles, including the cumbia masterpiece ‘おまえだけを I Love You’. The group also began performing together for the first time since they had called it a day back in 2007. Soon, more people became aware of this strange Japanese outfit, immersing themselves in the musical heritage of Latin America, which led to a renaissance in the band’s popularity both in Japan and further afield.
Most recently, London-based record label Jazz Room Records has compiled an extensive compilation album, selecting highlights from across Copa Salvo’s discography. The band themselves – largely unaware of the cult following they had garnered – were shocked at the idea of this record, saying, “There was definitely some kind of power at work here. I was shaking. What else could I call this but a miracle?” Nevertheless, the compilation has introduced hundreds more people to the inventive and infectious sounds of Copa Silva and provided hope that the band might carry on creating Latin-inspired music well into the future.
