Bluegrass Country Tokyo Yodeler
By Karen Yokota
Ever seen a Japanese man yodel and get a crowd roaring with excitement over Jimmie Rodgers songs? Some San Francisco Mission hipsters weren’t exposed to Jimmie Rodgers until Toshio Hirano began singing his songs. Toshio Hirano is a busy man. When he’s not singing at one of the three bars or cafes in San Francisco, he’s teaching ESL at the College of San Mateo, or promoting his documentary film released last year, “Waiting for a Train,” directed and written by SF Film Director Oscar Bucher.
Toshio Hirano was born in the 1950’s in Tokyo, Japan. As a teenager in 1967, he couldn’t help but listen to the sounds of American pop music. Legends Bob Dylan and the Beatles were ubiquitous on the radio waves. But it wasn’t Bob or the Beatles that caught Toshio’s attention. For Hirano, it was a Sunday afternoon special radio program featuring country music – the tunes caught his attention and he was spell bound.
“WOW,” Hirano exclaims. “I was taken aback because at that moment, time froze and that was the greatest thing I ever heard,” he explains as I watch his face light up. “It was the best feeling.”
From that moment on, Toshio began to dig around for more bluegrass and country tunes. He met a friend who also enjoyed listening to those beats. “I spent all of my free time thinking, researching and listening to bluegrass and country music,” Hirano says.
“Then, one day, I heard music performed by the country artist, Jimmy Rogers and that was a day to remember,” Hirano reminisces. “Everything after that was for Jimmie.” Hirano describes himself hypnotized by his sounds in that singular moment. “I bought a record from my friend, and the rest is history,” Hirano says. Toshio learned to play the banjo, guitar and mandolin and continued to play throughout college.
“After graduating college, I came to America – that was in 1974. I wanted to see the landscape where this music came from, where the sound came from,” Hirano states. “The music is connected to the landscape, climate and planet.” He visited Jimmie’s hometown, Meridian, Mississippi, and other parts of the Appalachian area including West Virginia and Kentucky.
Once he returned back to Japan, he landed a job. The job sent me back to the states – in fact he’s lived in four other cities – Atlanta, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and finally to Austin, Texas – bef ore moving to San Francisco, CA where he currently resides. “While I was in Texas, I met my wife, Catherine of 22 years, who has been an amazing support for my music,” he says. Hirano has two teenage kids with his Catherine and lives in Noe Valley. He’s lived in San Francisco for 24 years.
When asked if he typically eats Japanese food at his dinner table, he answered, “no.” “When I came to America, I discovered that I liked American food and I didn’t need to eat rice and shoyu every day,” Hirano says. “I’m not a picky eater and enjoy trying new dishes from different countries. When I lived in the Twin Cities, I didn’t eat rice for three years and I didn’t miss it.”
After speaking with him during intermission at the Mercury Café, Hirano heads back inside to perform his second set. He opens with “Blue Yodel No. 9 (Standing on the Corner),” Jimmie Rodger’s most famous song. The crowd claps and dances. There’s a jovial vibe in the café. After he’s finished with the song, he throws out a few jokes to the audience and they respond in heavy laughter. “He’s not only a great yodeler, he’s also charming with the crowd,” says Ben Terrall, a freelance journalist in San Francisco.
Toshio Hirano has it all. He has a loving family and a community that adores him. Better yet, he gets to perform at night, that’s what truly ignites his soul. “When I’m not working, I spend all of my time practicing. I’m in heaven when I’m performing and singing my heart out,” he says. “I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Toshio Hirano plays at the Mercury Café every third Fridays. This month, he’s playing on April 23. Check him out at 201 Octavia Street in San Francisco; (415) 252-7855. The Mercury Café serves all organic food including sandwiches, soups, scones, empanadas, drip coffee, wine and beer. Try their signature vegetarian chili. Everything is made fresh right after ordering.
In addition, Toshio performs at Amnesia, 853 Valencia Street (at 20th Street), San Francisco, second Mondays of every month; and at the Rite Spot Café, 2099 Folsom Street in San Francisco, fourth Saturday of the month.
For more information about Toshio Hirano, visit www.toshiohirano.com
