Joe Yamanaka

The Roots Reggae Library brings to you Reggae music in unique collections. This edition features Joe Yamanaka, a Japanese born Psychedelic Rock musician who ventured into Reggae.

 Akira Yamanaka, born in Yokohama, was of mixed descent. His father was a US Army soldier who hailed from the Caribbean. Akira, better known as Joe, played Psychedelic Rock with the Flower Travellin' Band. He was also a philanthropist, travelling around the world to help people in countries where conditions aren't great. He himself was raised in harsh conditions as well, being born in a brothel and growing up in an orphanage. In post-war Japan, it was not easy for him to grow up looking racially different from his peers.

During a trip to Jamaica, Joe recorded an album together with The Wailers in 1982. In the years following, he recorded another two albums. Eventually he would record a fourth Reggae record. The discography of Joe Yamanaka on the Roots Reggae Library will only include Joe's Reggae efforts. Although I own other records of Yamanaka, such as The Times, Love Is An Art, and Fire Without Flame, his Psychedelic Rock career would be too extensive and thus overshadow his Reggae recordings. Joe has his own website and there is a great photogallery of the man, find it here.

Given the history of the two countries, it feels slightly bad to be writing about the discography of a Japanese artist here in Singapore. On the other hand, it represents the state in which the world should be in today, peace.

Joe Yamanaka - Reggae Vibration

01. Reggae Vibration
02. I'm A Stranger
03. As The Time Passes By
04. A New Day Is Rising Now
05. Caribbean Love Song
06. Shining Star
07. On Your Own
08. Travel On Again
09. Never Too Late
10. Rastafari








As explained, Joe Yamanaka joined The Wailers after Bob Marley had passed away and recorded with them Reggae Vibration. The very first track is also called 'Reggae Vibration' and can be seen as his introduction to the genre, being a Rock artist in his home country. You will still hear a strong Rock influence in his songs, starting with this one. I have actually taken out a few seconds at the start of the track, where you hear only a very soft bass guitar line. "I've been travelling so many miles away, still I can't find my way" is 'I'm A Stranger'. He meets someone, a stranger, being a stranger himself too, and asks him the way. The introducing tunes of 'As The Time Passes By' are just wonderful. Joe's voice screeches the words of the song and this is very typical of his style. Again, the electric guitar plays an important role. Joe tried to catch the rainbow in 'A New Day Is Rising Now'. "After the storm when the rain had stopped" and when "the sun will shine tomorrow" are a few lines of his rainbow song. You can just give yourself to Joe for his 'Caribbean Love Song' and "let make love night baby" because " living things are created just for life". His love dream is mesmerizing. The interesting thing you find is that listening to Yamanaka's songs without knowing their title, he doesn't give the title away in the song. With many Reggae artists it is easy to hear what the title of a song would be. Not for Joe Yamanaka. 'Shining Star' starts with a strong Reggae beat. "Do not stand by that grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die". He tells to remember that "like I have overcome so many difficult things when I was just your age" and that you've got to do it by yourself alone, without helpt 'On Your Own'. The harmonica plays and Joe heartens us up. "You must make your way, with confidence ah way". The reason to 'Travel On Again' is because you got tired of the concrete city of life. Yamanaka has got a nice "woh woh woh woh woh" and "yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah" in it. The chorus of the next song makes it abundantly clear what the song title is, 'Never Too Late'. He sings about falling in love last summer and feeling extremely happy. Originally the first song on this album is 'Rastafari I' and the last is 'Rastafari II'. I have combined the two into 'Rastafari'. In it, you'll hear the sea, congo drums and some chanting.


Joe Yamanaka - My Reggae Music

01. Dance To The Reggae
02. River Song
03. Who Knows Him Truly
04. Love Can
05. Rastaman Said
06. Man Will Be Wiser
07. Reggae Partner
08. My Reggae Music










To make the cover art more in line with the other Reggae Vibration albums of Joe Yamanaka I used the album art of the single 'Dance To The Reggae' with the album title My Reggae Music, which is the genuine title of Reggae Vibration II, as it is also known. The album is released a year after Reggae Vibration. I have to give a shout out to a musical website from Chile called Sácateuncómpac. One of it's owner, Francisco van Pilsen, was the one who supplied me with both My Reggae Music and We Are Warriors. It has an introduction song called 'Dambala' on which Joe Yamanaka is not heard at all. This track has been omitted from the album. In 'Dance To The Reggae' two generations, the young and old, are trying to find a way.  "In any time there will be hunger for power", "injustice around" and "in any time there will be those against it all". The uptempo Reggae beat in 'Dance To The Reggae' is strong. "I walk up to the river as the sun came over the hill, it was early in the morning and the rhythm was feeling fine", then he was watching "that mellow water flow, then a pretty little birdie came along singing hey I know". 'River Song' is one without any worry. Joe wants to be one with the river and at peace. 'Who Knows Him Truly' is truly a good track devoted to Jah. Joe makes ever good use of his guitar. "Whether you are black, or you are white, come on in" because "'Love Can' carry us far". This feels like a track that Yamanaka could have written in his Psychedelic Rock years just as well. 'Rastaman Said' begins with a tune we all know, the Bob Marley 'Rat Race' tune from Rastaman Vibration. Joe sits on the staircase with no money and no job but he sings his song nonetheless. With a assured attitude he knows that "the day will come when 'Man Will Be Wiser', and on that day the wicked will reign no more, cause on that day all men shall know himself, until that day, positive". 'Reggae Partner' is opened by Joe Yamanaka but the rest of the track is sung by Gus Anyia. 'Reggae Partner' is the Side B of the vinyl single Dance To The Reggae. Augustus Anyia plays with a band called Dambala, also the name of the introduction track on this album. It refers back to 'Dance To The Reggae' where he sings "I want to take you to this dance, I want to dance Reggae music with you, all night long". It is not the greatest track of this album though. To return to some genuine Yamanaka Reggae we listen to "I've got to keep on trying to find Jah music", 'My Reggae Music'. The female vocalist sing "Rastafari" and Joe sings "I've got my Reggae music". He tells himself to keep on moving and running in his quest.

Joe Yamanaka - We Are Fighters

01. We Are Fighters
02. Will Live A Life
03. Communication
04. Envy
05. Hot Beat Of The People
06. Tokyo Town
07. Live Like A Rastaman
08. Day O










Just as My Reggae Music, the album We Are Fighters was supplied by Sácateuncómpac, which is run by three Chileans from Iquique. The three musketeers are Francisco, Sebastian, and Juan Pablo. The introduction is called 'Far East Jah' and you hear fighters shouting battle chants. The same has been done as with the introduction on the My Reggae Music album. This album is again one year later than it's predecessor. It has an astonishing album cover if you ask me. 'We Are Fighters' is a happy track to be opening the album with. "Get up my friend, from this concrete jungle", because "your time has come" and "open up the universe". There are some dub sounds in the music of this track. That continues into the start of 'Will Live A Life' after which you will hear a slow and nice tune and Joe sings "natty dread, we live a life, an upfull life". 'Will Live A Life' might be a simple song, but it is a catchy one, preaching a truthfull life., the life we love. The trumpet plays for 'Communication', something we desperately need. "I feel like talking to someone else" so let's keep the communication going, it's the only way we can understand one another. A faster tempo for 'Envy'. "Look before you leave", "envy takes you backward, it never take you forward, don't look back now, keep on looking forward". He then walks down the river in Jamaica, seeing natty dread dancing to the Reggae music he comes with 'Hot Beat Of The People'. Because "Reggae is the hot beat of the people". You can feel it and you can dance to it too. He could just as well be singing "heartbeat" instead of "hot beat". Of the next song you can find a video on Youtube where Joe sings it twenty five years later after recording sitting with a woman on a bench. 'Tokyo Town' is a brilliant song, I just love it. I seriously doubt that there are any Reggae songs about Tokyo that top this one. "In the night time in Tokyo town, we used to dance all night with the Reggae melody, music so hot, Reggae feels so good, it's allright, Tokyo town". "In my life and time I remember the far East land, when I close my eyes when I think of all past nights again". There is some footage available from a life concert in 1984 where Joe sings 'We Are Fighters', 'Live Like A Rastaman' and the song 'Love Can' from the album My Reggae Music. In 'Live Like A Rastaman' he explains how being a Rastaman is not about the way you look but about the way you act. Fussing, fighting, looting, shooting and killing are never going to be an option. 'Day O' is called 'Banana Boat' on the album and is also released as a single by Joe. Of course it is a song after the song of Harry Belafonte, so we stick with its original name. is originally named 'Day O'. It's nice to have Joe choose a Calypso classic to cover, rather than singing a Bob Marley cover which most foreign Reggae musicians do.


Joe Yamanaka - Going Back To Jamaica

01. Going Back To Jamaica
02. Reggae Love
03. Daydreamin'
04. Don't Touch My Dreadlocks
05. I'm A Lucky Man
06. Only Pray For Tomorrow
07. Dance To The Reggae
08. Proof Of The Man
09. Far East Jah









Many years later Joe Yamanaka went back to Jamaica and recorded a fourth Reggae album. In-between there had been Reggae History which is basically a "best off" from the three Reggae Vibration albums. Except for the last song 'We Are Born Free' which I am still searching for. This album is without The Wailers, with which he had recorded  the previous three albums. Going Back To Jamaica is recorded in 2009, two years before Yamanaka passed away. In 'Going Back To Jamaica' we hear the waves of the sea and following our Japanese Reggae star singing about his going back to the Caribbean and he's excited. Talks about visions and delivers a nice opening of the album, with a Japanese sound to it in his lingering voice. He not only loves Jamaica but there is also a good bit of 'Reggae Love'. "If you cannot sing don't try to force it, try another song, another style" he directs. It sounds a bit harsh, but he might have a point. I am glad that he did decide to sing some more Reggae music. The mellow 'Daydreamin'' gets me wiggling from side to side. "Happy vibes across the sea" a good mood in general, and "we are free to dream". "The sun will shine" and "every man is free". But watch it! 'Don't Touch My Dreadlocks'! You may see them on the cover art of Going Back To Jamaica. The sound of this song is a bit generic, which is a pity for a song about dreads. He sings that love is the only way, but again warns not to touch his dreads. With tingly tunes we hear 'I'm A Lucky Man'. An interesting statement considering his background. I would want to turn it around and say that we are lucky men to be able to hear Joe's music. Taken together, we are all lucky, aren't we? Let's just sit back and listen. When we do, we hear ; Only Pray For Tomorrow', "time is passing without love". Luckily that "suddenly the sun is coming, shining", although mostly we hear about "cloudy air". You are familiar with 'Dance To The Reggae' through the album My Reggae Music but here on Going Back To Jamaica you hear a new recording. Again we dance to the music provided by our Japanese musician. 'Proof Of The Man' is a Reggae version of the song he sang as a soundtrack for the movie he starred in himself in 1977. The movie was called Proof Of The Man in English, 人間の証明 or Ningen no Shōmei in Japanese. The original song is played much slower. The song was known as 'Ningen no Shōmei no Tēma' or as 'Mama,  Do You Remember'. It is great that Joe decided to install it on this album too. Just like the introduction track on We Are Fighters the last song is called 'Far East Jah'. In the end of 'Proof Of The Man' you hear the waves of the sea which are continued into 'Far East Jah'. You don't hear Joe sing in that last track, but you can hear echo's of his voice.

Studio Albums

««««« (1982) Reggae Vibration

««««« (1983) My Reggae Music

««««« (1984) We Are Fighters

««««« (1982) Going Back To Jamaica

Original Date Of Publishing: February 2017