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Nikki Matsumoto had been playing in the Los Angeles club circuit from 1985
to 1996. He was the singer/composer/guitarist for all of his hard rock
bands including Northcoross and Negro East. In 1996, with the decline of the LA rock scene, he comes back to Japan where he was born. Aside from music activities, Nikki has been active as the peace activist. He was a member of Amnesty International from 2005 to 2008. He had been supporting foreigners, including a Nigerian arrested on false charges and the release of Somali who was denied asylum status in Japan. Left : NEGRO EAST featured on Rodell Records compilation CD |
 In 2011, the debut album of his project, Rock of Asia, was released on March 11, coinciding with the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake. He was struck with the fact that the earthquake occurred while listening to an original song called "Ocean". The song is about a fisherman who loses his family. So naturally he departed the safe area of Tokyo to visit the center of the Tsunami disaster, Tohoku from March 15. During March, he visit the disaster-stricken areas twice, and within the course of the year, hehad traveled to Tohoku for a total of 11 trips as a volunteer. |
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After going back and forth to the disaster areas and providing aids for
about a year, he visited the Middle East including Palestine in 2012 with
Rock Of Asia. The group performed at the prestigious Opera House in Cairo,
Universities in Israel and Peace Center in Palestine etc. |
| From 2015 to 2017, he participated in Earth Caravan, an organization that
appeals for world peace. Nikki helped organizing Peace concerts in Nagasaki,
Hiroshima, Tokyo and many other parts in Japan. He carried the embers of
the A-bomb from Hiroshima to Jerusalem and participated in the outdoor
festival "Betlahem Live" that attracted 20,000 people and continued
his global peace activities. In 2019, he visited Egypt and Palestine again
and to continue cultural exchange activities. |
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| In 2018, he formed a volunteer organization "Others First Initiative". Charity concerts and other events were held for traffic accident victims. In 2019, he went to Hong Kong and participated in a democracy demonstration. He has visited China, including Taiwan, three times in the past five years, and has continued to engage in cultural exchanges. In 2020, he gave up overseas activities due to the outbreak of Covid-19. It was during this period that he decided to contribute to the local community and held a free meals to kids every Sunday. In addition, from June, he started to support the homeless people, distributing food every Sunday. |
With Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian village of Bilin
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| Interviews / Articles | |
| Muse Arab 2022/6/7 | Click |
| NOHO ARTIST DISTRICT 2022/2/14 | Click |
| Arab News 2021/11/4 | Click |
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