Mission: Not Impossible?

Music-related trade missions to Asia are becoming common, and at least one of them seems to have resulted in actual exchanges.

The Canadian Independent Music Association’s trip to Japan, as well as the Canadian Music Week’s recent Spotlight in Japan in Toronto have resulted in several Canadian acts receiving bookings in Japan in upcoming months, according to Tokyo-based music industry newsletter McClureMusic.com.

Among the bookings are singer-songwriter Maylee Todd, who will perform at a Tokyo club in June; Ron Sexsmith’s appearance at Fuji Rock Festival, where he has performed a number of times in the past and guitarist Pavlo’s August show at a jazz club in Tokyo, not to mention his signing with Japan’s King Records. 

Yet more bookings include singer Matt Dusk’s appearance at the Tokyo Jazz Festival in September and female power trio Hunter Valentine being added to the roster of Summer Sonic in August.

Other record deals and concerts are pending.

The CIMA trade mission in November featured a number of Canadian acts who performed at a Tokyo showcase, while the Japan focus at CMW in March included eight Japanese acts.

Though Canada definitely benefited from both efforts, so far only one Japanese act, jazz trumpeter Chihiro Yamazaki, has seen a booking that resulted from the meetings.