Shonan No Kaze

Romaji for 湘南乃風. Shonan no Kaze (湘南乃風, Shonannokaze) is a four-member reggae group from Japan, mostly known for their 2006 hit single Junrenka. The name of the band means “A Breeze from Shonan” (a resort destination in Japan). RED RICE and HAN-KUN both started to form a band together while they were in Shonan. RED RICE had had a fascination with reggae and hip-hop, while HAN-KUN was originally a dancer from Shounan. HAN-KUN first heard reggae when, by chance, he heard Buju Banton’s Untold Stories while driving. They met SHOCK EYE, a hip-hop DJ, and Wakadanna (who was managing a reggae bar). From then on, they formed a band under the name Shonannokaze and decided to release music together. In late 2003, the group started to release music under a label that they had created themselves, 134Recordings (under Toy’s Factory). Their debut album, Shonannokaze ~Real Riders~, reached #60 on Oricon album charts. The band would follow up this album with two top 20 singles, and one year later would release their second album, Shonannokaze ~Raga Parade~, which peaked at an astounding #5. After yet another two top 20 singles, Shonannokaze finally got their big break with Junrenka. This long charting single managed to reach up to #2, and furthermore the resulting album from them grabbed the #1 spot on Oricon charts. Interestingly, since their first album, Shonannokaze has collaborated with Minmi on at least seven different songs.