Sakura Tango Festival

Naoko Iwatsu (accordion), Taeko Akimoto (Piano), Aogu Tanimoto (violin)

Since its formation in Fukuoka in 1999, the group continues to thoroughly representing the dynamism and fun of Argentine tango. Every spring since 2002, they held the "Tango no Sekku" along with Tango dancers Kenji & Liliana, including performances in Japan. They performed at the “Tokyo Tango Festival 2012”, “Fukuoka Sakura Tango Festival 2014” (since then, they have performed every spring), “Shanghai International Tango Festival”, and “Nara Tango Festival” in 2015. In winter of the same year, they performed for the first time in Europe such as Luxembourg and Vienna and the fourth time in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They have been described as "A sense of air of Buenos Aires, the home of Tango,", "The unthinkable performance intensity of only 3 persons", and "The first band from Japan that makes you dance".

In 2019, they released the 7th CD "Trio Los Fandangos 7".

Born in Osaka. Graduated from vocal music department of Soai University.
Since childhood, he has been exposed to the Western music and Latin American music under the influence of his mother who is a teacher. Therefore his origin is based on both genres.
He lived in Argentina in 2006 and 2011, and studied with Carlos Gariel, the singer of the Leopoldo Federico orchestra. In 2021, he worked as a singer for "Long Nights", "Pigmalion" and the first play of Astor Piazzolla in Asia.
He has been a singer for many years in the most prominent Japanese tango orchestras such as "Ryota Komatsu & Orquesta Tipica", "Machiko Komatsu & Tango Crystal", "Trio Los Fandangos", "Takao Suzuki cuarteto".
In 2022 he has released "KaZZma Canta Carlos Gardel".
KaZZma is recognized as one of the outstanding tango singers in Japan.

A dance teacher at the Mecca of Tango “La Viruta”, Juan Guida came to Japan in 1998 bringing with him his fresh style. After teaching at the Argentine Tango Dance Association, he started Argentango Ltd. in order to promote the Tango in Japan at every level: As a Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer, Event and Milonga Organizer, and inviting guest dancers from abroad. Having been selected as a member of the jury for the Asian Round of the World Tango Competition every year since its inception, as well as the Japan World Tango Festival 2005, he is recognized as one of the most influential personalities of the Tango in Japan.
Quickly becoming the most charismatic and influential tango teacher and dancer, he has since performed in many shows and musicals around the country and abroad, sometimes managing guest artists as well. He has starred in TV commercials and left his imprint in almost every Japanese media; his name is synonym of tango in Japan. He is also the founder of TANGO XXI and alma-mater of Zero Hour, the most successful and populated milonga in Tokyo, widely celebrated as the most authentic. Today, he keeps setting the highest standard in both stage and salón tango.

Tango DJ, Event & Festival Producer, and dance instructor.
He is the organizer of tango festival, also known as the event promoter, and DJ in Europe.

He was born in Mar del Plata, and currently lives in Majorca Island, Spain.
He began to learn the tango, and he is fascinated by the tango dance in general, music, and its culture. Since then he is planning lessons and milongas with his friends in the local Mar del Plata.
In order to obtain a professional dance techniques and deepen the knowledge of tango culture as a whole, he took the lessons of famous maestro in Buenos Aires.
As he has gained experience as a tango DJ, he has learned the knowledge of the orchestra, the style, such as the preference of dancer byFelix Picherna.
He became a famous tango DJ of Europe, he has invited as a DJ in tango festivals and events of many to be held in Italy, Ireland, Dubai, Netherlands, Germany, France mainly in Spain.

He has also worked as a dance instructor and also presided over Argentine tango school in Mallorca, Spain.
Beside the activity as the promoter, and as the DJ, he play an active part as a dance instructor of Argentine tango school which he presides over in Mallorca, Spain.

He is also the organizer of the Zaratango, which have held Mallorca Tango Festival in Zaragoza city.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he began to dance tango in 1997. Among his most important teachers are Gabriel Angio and Natalia Games, Mingo and Esther Pugliese, Raúl Bravo, Néstor Ray, José Vázquez Lampazo, El Gallego Manolo, Vanina Bilous, Fernando Galera , Vilma Vega, Natalia Hills, Gabriel Misse, Petaca, Jorge Dispari and María del Carmen, Damian Esell and Nancy Louzan among others. Since 1999 he has been dedicated to the teaching of tango. In 2001 he settled in Japan where he has his own academy "El Porteño", and he is the organizer of one of the oldest milongas of that country (La Típica de Kitano) where he is also a DJ. In 2002 he starred in the tango documentary "Nosotros" along with other great dancers like Petaca and Hernán Álvarez Prieto. Since the fundation of the Tango Ensemble Coqueta has been performing as a principal dancer for 10 years, in his numerous concerts and shows.. He is also invited to teach in China and other Asian countries for 15 years. Lately he is tempted to teach and give demonstrations in various cities of Europe. He is also the organizer of major tango events and festivals in Japan.

Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina. He has been involved with Tiempo Iberoamericano´s project in Fukuoka, Japan since 2002.
He is a key-player in the development of tango in Fukuoka being undoubtedly the local main tango DJ for 15 years.
He is one of the organizers, producer and has played as DJ in Sakura Tango Festival since the first edition.

The floor where DJ TOMO plays always has a good atmosphere.
When asking Tomo what his secret to DJing is, he replied, "When I look at the floor, the air on that floor tells me which song to play next."
In 2002, he studied a number of domestic and foreign dances, including Argentine tango.
In 2003 he started DJing at Yokosuka's long-established Tango Club Manatee.
After that, he was first seen by a famous dancer and advanced to Tokyo, and thus began his nationwide popularity.
He mainly works in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he played more than 70 plays a year, and all the floors where he DJed lit up.
During these sad times of the pandemic, Tomo decided to go active online, planning and executing various projects including the "We can support project", "Esperanza", "Tecleando Virtual Milonga", etc., thus connecting Tango artists, organizers and Tango lovers. Moreover, he dedicated all profits raised in these projects to the artists. He has been working with the motivation and goal of preventing the decline of the tango culture during this pandemic period.
In addition to the above, Tomo is often invited to various events such as openings, anniversaries, and other special events.
In recent years, he has been active in "La Milonga" sponsored by JTFA, 2017-2019 Sakura Tango Festival, Tokyo Tango Festival, Kansai Tango Festival, etc.
One special event he participated in was the 2020 Mayday Virtual Milonga hosted by BsAs DNA online. Tomo has also served as the main DJ of many other events.
Needless to say, Tomo is the most extensive and recognized DJ in Japan today.
He is highly trusted by many professional dancers, and they say, "I want TOMO to create the sound of the performance."
The selection of songs is not limited to just the golden era, but includes a wide range of eras and many Orchestras. Music that are easy to dance are selected according to the atmosphere of the place.
He has a good reputation for how to play music , and it is often said that "his music play is different from other music plays that one usually hears because he leads one to hear sounds that one usually does not hear.”
He has fans in a wide range of ages and in many countries, especially from women.
The milonga he plays is never dismissed until the end.

Born in Yokohama and started Tango in Sapporo.
She has taken classes from a number of maestros at Cafetin de Buenosaire in Osaka and has studied under artists including Pablo & Noelia, Jorge Torres, Analia & Luiz, Gabriel Misse, Daniel & Cristina, Ernest Borgonovo, Ernesto & Paola, Roberto & Lam, Yuki & Dani. DJ Fukky started her work as a DJ at Milonga in Sapporo.
She learned piano and was initially attracted to classical music. Since then, she has totally fallen in love with Tango music and has been involved with dancing romantic selections of traditional music from the golden age of Tango. DJ Fukky currently works mainly in Osaka and Sapporo and has participated in this Sakura Tango Festival in both 2017 and 2018.

After learning about Argentine tango in Hiroshima, he founded "BUEN AMIGO" in 2020. Since then he has been regularly organizing milongas and practices.
He started his career as a DJ from 2021.
In Hiroshima:
"Greetings to good friends and Mr. P"
"Ernesto and Paola in HIROSHIMA"
"Daniel and Yuki in HIROSHIMA"
In Osaka:
"Piazzolla Live Milonga"
"Tango Symposium Quartet Live"
he participated in these events as a DJ.
In 2022, he is planning to organize and work as a DJ at milongas taking place in Hiroshima, Osaka, Nagoya and Okayama.

Born in Tochigi Prefecture and raised in Tokyo.
He began practicing tango at "Studio Tanguera", and learned with Ricardo Cerqueiro at "Tango Rex".
He started his DJ career in the same studio and had experiences of DJing at events while he was living for work in Dubai.
He currently DJs at "Meguro Zita", "Nihonbashi Rada" and "Omotesando Bombon Milonga".
Since October 2021 he has been organizing "Milonga Tanguera" once a month on the occasion of the tribute to "Studio TANGUERA" from Ginza in Tokyo, which closed its door definitively in December 2020.