Suzumeno Tears, a Tokyo-based female duo blending Japanese folk, Balkan polyphony, and jazz, released their debut album Sparrow’s Arrows Fly so High in March 2024, earning critical acclaim and topping international music charts with their unique, cross-cultural sound.

When the guitar strums, it feels as if The Beatles have wandered into the streets of Edo, strumming and singing. Just when you think this might be a folk ensemble brimming with exotic charm, their masterful arrangements and instrumentation reveal the spontaneity and brilliance of jazz.

It’s no wonder that Japanese avant-garde jazz maestro Otomo Yoshihide has included them in his must-listen playlist. When a guitarist with the soul of The Beatles meets a wandering poet from the Edo period, a new scene blending folk and jazz is quietly born.

Suzumeno Tears, a female vocal and instrumental duo from Tokyo, Japan, is precisely this unique presence. The band consists of Sato Miyuki, a singer skilled in Bulgarian traditional folk music, and Fukuda Akiko, a guitarist and vocalist.

The band’s main creator, Agatha, was inspired by The Beatles during her teenage years, which is reflected in her warm guitar tones, perfectly complementing Miyuki’s Balkan-style polyphonic singing. Sato Miyuki is fascinated by Bulgarian vocal harmonies and once studied polyphonic singing with the Bulgarian National Folk Ensemble. After returning to Japan, the two met at a workshop for Gōshū Ondo, a traditional folk song from Shiga Prefecture, and discovered that their different cultural backgrounds could harmonize so seamlessly. Thus, Suzumeno Tears was born.

Their music also incorporates elements of Gōshū Ondo, a traditional folk song from Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Both members systematically studied this singing style at the "First Generation Sakuragawa Yui Maru Gōshū Ondo Correspondence Course Cosmic Story Society." Known for its simple yet rhythmic melodies, improvised lyrics, and distinct regional flavor, Gōshū Ondo is fused with modern polyphony and harmonies in their work, preserving the roots of traditional music while infusing it with a contemporary, international perspective.

Unlocking the next level of female vocal harmonies, their sound is so pure and clean it brings tears to the eyes.

Like the harmonic beauty of The Beatles, Suzumeno Tears’ two-part polyphony is breathtaking from the first note, with a balance so precise it’s astonishingly stable. By blending Japanese folk songs and Bulgarian folk songs with polyphonic elements, they create a dazzling tapestry of sound, offering a journey through time and space.

In March 2024, they released their debut album, Sparrow’s Arrows Fly so High, through DOYASA! Records. The album garnered widespread attention and high praise from radio programs and music media both domestically and internationally, earning several accolades:

• Music Magazine (Japan) 2024 Best Album: Kayōkyoku/J-POP category, 1st place

• UK’s Far Side Radio: "Top 10 New Albums of 2024," 1st place

• Podwireless Radio: "Best Albums of 2024," 6th place

Using folk music as a form of "archaeology," they sing a global anthology of women’s stories.

The band’s name, Suzumeno Tears, carries a double meaning in Japanese: it refers to a small, insignificant amount of money, but also metaphorically represents the humble joys and sorrows of everyday life, hinting at their deep exploration of folk music history. Their lyrics blend Japanese, Bulgarian, Russian, and Tuvan, as Suzumeno Tears, with an almost archaeological spirit, use folk music to tell stories from Japan and around the world. Listeners have praised their work as "poetry in sound, and paintings in sound." Their repertoire resembles a musical anthropology archive, guiding listeners on a journey across continents and cultures.

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