Nao Yoshioka

Born in Osaka and based in Tokyo after a formative spell in New York, Nao Yoshioka has since the early 2010s developed a repertoire blending soul, contemporary R&B, gospel and neo-soul. Her career took shape on the New York scene, where she spent several years and participated notably in selections related to the Apollo Theater and the McDonald’s Gospelfest, before releasing her first titles with the Japanese label Sweet Soul Records. Nao Yoshioka released The Light in 2013, followed by Rising in 2015, in an aesthetics nourished by American soul, organic arrangements and a supple vocal style, often carried by slow or mid-tempo grooves. She followed with Nao Yoshioka & Brian Owens Live at Blue Note Tokyo in 2015, then The Truth in 2016, an album that extends her work between R&B ballads, neo-soul textures and collaborations with musicians linked to the Philadelphia and U.S. scenes. Active on stages such as Blue Note Tokyo, Blue Note New York, Capital Jazz Fest or San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Nao Yoshioka continues this trajectory with Undeniable in 2019, then Flow in 2024. Her music remains centered on expressive vocal writing, precise arrangements and a soul approach that links Japan to contemporary African-American traditions.