Naia Izumi is an American virtuoso guitarist and singer songwriter from Columbus, Georgia. [1]
Naia Izumi is an American virtuoso guitarist and singer songwriter from Columbus, Georgia. [1]
Izumi received his first guitar by age 10. He learned how to play the instrument in a closet, hiding from his father, who disapproved of his interest in creating music. [2] His mother is a choir director. [3]
At the age of 16, Izumi was diagnosed with autism. He is open about being autistic, and describes it as "not a problem but instead a unique brain chemistry one can use to accomplish the unexpected". [4] [5]
Izumi began his music career busking on the streets of Los Angeles. [1] Filmmaker Suzuya Bobo met Izumi in LA and offered to create a music video for him. She suggested he submit a song to the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. [2]
In 2018, at age 34, Izumi won the fourth annual NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest with his song "Soft Spoken". [6] [7] [8] According to the series' creator, Bob Boilen, Izumi "impressed the judges with his intricate, complex guitar playing and his sweet, emotive voice." [9] The competition was judged by Boilen, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Sylvan Esso, and Gaby Moreno. [10] Izumi was surprised to learn he had won, because he forgot he had entered the contest. [11] Following his win, he played a 10-city national tour. [10]
In 2019, Izumi signed to Sony Masterworks. [12] He is sponsored by Fender. [13] [14]
On July 30, 2021, Sony Masterworks released Izumi’s debut album, A Residency in the Los Angeles Area. On the album, he played vocals, guitar, bass, drums, Japanese Koto, mandolin, and cittern. Izumi was influenced by King Crimson, Musiq Soulchild, and Shakti. [15] American Songwriter wrote, "it’s amazing to see an artist like Izumi make a bold, exciting new sound out of the cherished, ol’ six-string. That’s raw, unabashed creativity." [16]
In 2022, Izumi played a concert in Bushwick to raise money for abortion access. [2]
Izumi resides in Los Angeles, California. [1] He identified as genderfluid, then as a transgender woman for seven years, but now identifies as a cisgender man. [3] [11] The song that won the Tiny Desk Concert was originally titled "Soft Spoken Woman", and was written about his experiences as a woman. [23]
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