Hazama is an all-female shamisen trio based in Berlin with members from Japan, Australia and Germany. They specialise in the Tsugaru shamisen, a traditional Japanese 3-stringed instrument used by blind folk and travelling musicians of olden Japan. Hazama performs a vibrant mix of traditional Japanese songs, virtuosic modern repertoire, and original compositions with blues, rock and global music influences. Their performances are engaging and joyful, spiced with vocals, bamboo flute and percussion atop the sounds of the shamisen.
Since their formation in 2018, Hazama have performed extensively at festivals, cultural events and concerts across Europe. They released their debut album in 2018, which Songlines Magazines praised as "consistently excellent. If you need a contemporary introduction to the world of Tsugaru shamisen, this is it." Their second album Hazama was released in 2022, praised in Songlines and Rolling Stone, and entering the Transglobal World Music Chart at #10.
The name Hazama has the meaning "in between" or "limbo," a theme that represents the band's members, who are from diverse cultural backgrounds and often experience a sense of being "between worlds"
