May 9, 2018

Introducing Keiko from Playing For Change Band - Listen to her sound on nana!

For the final week of "Listen To The Music" contest, Keiko Komaki from Playing For Change Band joined nana and posted her amazing keyboard tracks!  Listen to her covers that will make you hit "collab" button!"I ended up making three versions. It was so much fun!"       - Keiko KomakiAbout KeikoKeiko is a pianist with Playing For Change Band, and guess what?!  She has something in common with us.........You might have realized just by looking at her name "Keiko" but yes!  She is from Japan!Born in Kagoshima Prefecture located in southern part of Japan, Keiko began playing the piano at just 5 years old. After graduating Kunitachi College of Music, she quickly became more interested in the improvisation world playing funk, blues, and jazz fusion rather than her classical roots.  However, it was a few years later where she learned of New Orleans music.  She later visited New Orleans for Jazz Fest and decided to take the bold step in 2006 to move to the city and make it as a musician, despite opposition from her family.Shortly after moving to New Orleans, she was hired by the Late Marva Wright and the Wild Magnolias as their keyboard player and started to perform at local clubs and tour with them till Marva was passed away.  She can regularly be heard in New Orleans as a keyboard player for Brass-a-Holics, Vasti Jackson, Benny Turner & Real Blues, Gary Brown Band, and Connie G & the Creole Soul.  She has also played with many of the Crescent City’s most beloved musicians including George Porter Jr, Johnny Vidacovich, Zigaboo Modeliste,  Russell Batiste, many more...!👆Billboard Live Tokyo/Osaka 2017Mark Johnson, Co-Founder of Playing For Change and his team met Keiko in New Orleans while working on the recording of A Better Place when Vasti Jackson introduced her to them.  Mark and his team immediately fell in love not only with her playing but her soul and joy, and she became part of the PFC Band in 2013.  Ever since, she has been performing in numerous live with the band, and she came to Japan last year to perform for the "Billboard Live Tokyo/Osaka 2017" with Mermans as well!Check out some of her live performances and music video appearnce👍👍👍PFC video:A Better Place / Playing For Change / Song Around The WorldLive concerts:Back To Your Roots / Playing For Change Band / Live in BrazilBiko / Playing For Change Band / Live in New YorkSounds on nana:Added piano, organ to official acoustic guitar versionAnother version with piano, organ, and percussion to official acoustic guitar...　

Read more

May 4, 2018

Introducing Robin from Playing For Change Band - Listen to his sound on nana!

Last week, we introduced Mermans from Playing For Change Band with his amazing track on nana.  This week, another musician from the band, Robin Moxey, joined nana and dropped his awesome guitar track!  How about another collaboration with him?"The nana app was fun and easy! Let's jam!!!"                      - Robin Moxey About Robin...Robin is a vocalist & guitarist with Playing For Change Band but these are only a few of his talents!  He also takes part in producing, mixing the Playing For Change Songs Around The World.  Originally from Los Angeles and based out of Seattle, WA, Robin has been involved with Playing For Change since the inception of the project.Robin met Mark Johnson, Co-Founder of Playing For Change while Mark was working with Jackson Browne.  He and his band went into the studio and Mark was the engineer.  They hit it off right away and joined forces to co-produce an album for a friend of theirs, and then went on to co-produce more albums for about 6 years.One day, Mark invited Robin to Santa Monica and said he was going to record one of the musicians there.  It was Roger Ridley and Roger ended up playing Robin's guitar for "Stand By Me"!  From then, Robin has been involved in various aspects of PFC - mixing for albums and now, as a member of PFC Band! Check out his sound on nana, live performance in Los Angeles last year with Little Feat and PFC Band as well as the most famous "Stand By Me" music video as said above!PFC Video:Stand By Me / Playing For Change / Song Around The WorldLive concerts:Dixie Chicken / Little Feat with the PFC Band Live in Los Angeles / Playing For Change...　

Read more

April 27, 2018

Introducing Mermans from Playing For Change Band - Listen to his sound on nana!

This week, one of the Playing For Change Band musicians, Mermans Mosengo, sang along with the “Listen To The Music” instrumental track and posted his amazing track on nana!   He sang the version without the chorus so why not collaborate with him🎤?!About Mermans…Mermans is a percussionist, guitarist, and singer in Afro Fiesta, a band formed in South Africa with another Playing For Change Band musician, Jason Tamba.  They both are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and left their home country more than 15 years ago in search of a better life.Mark Johnson, Co-Founder of Playing For Change and his team first met Mermans at a restaurant in Cape Town where Mermans was performing with his band.  Their performance completely caught Mark and his team’s attention, so during the band’s set break they spoke with Mermans about PFC and were immediately in unison with him!Anyways, that’s how they met and from that time till now, Mermans has performed in numerous PFC videos and live concerts all over the world with the Playing For Change Band.  He even came to Japan last year to perform for the "Billboard Live Tokyo/Osaka 2017" with the Playing For Change Band!👆Billboard Live Tokyo/Osaka 2017"Nana!!! such an amazing way of connecting self-recording and connecting artists all over the world simply with the phone in your hand. Respect!"          -Mermans MosengoIt was his first time to use nana but after posting his track, he gave us the above warm message! We have selected some of his performance from his numerous collection below.CHECK IT OUT👍👍👍👍PFC Videos: Take Me Home, Country Roads / Playing For Change / Song Around The WorldLive concerts:Stuck On You / Playing For Change / Live Outside54-46 Was My Number | Playing For Change Band | Live in BrazilSound on nana:...　

Read more