Mayumi Shara

Mayumi Shara is a renowned Japanese-American drummer who has mastered a variety of jazz styles, including be-bop and modern jazz. She is also a pioneer of female jazz drummers in Japan. After moving to New Orleans, Mayumi immersed herself in the city's rich jazz tradition, mastering the New Orleans style and second line rhythms. She has played with renowned New Orleans musicians such as James Rivers Movement and Benny Turner & BMW, and performs regularly at the city's famous festivals.

She is also a prolific bandleader, leading her own jazz band, Mayumi Shara & The N.O. Jazz Letters, as well as the all-Japanese women's blues and funk band Pink Magnolias and the Taiko drum band MaDeTo. She is currently working on a new band musical expressing the history of New Orleans, which utilizes her unique Taiko drum set.

Mayumi is also one of the few great female drummers to be featured in a new book titled Drumsville! The Evolution of the New Orleans Beat by Robert Cataliotti (LSU Press, September 7, 2022). The book traces the history of drums and drumming in New Orleans, examining three centuries of drums and the art form. The book was created as a companion to the New Orleans Jazz Museum exhibit of the same name.

Through her music, Mayumi seeks to uplift people and bring them soul-stirring joy and happiness.

Visit Mayumi's Patreon website at [...] to learn more about her upcoming performances and music.