The Tokyo/Shibuya-origin band ALI, which has fused Hip Hop with roots music such as Funk, Soul, Jazz, and Latin, returns to Billboard Live Osaka. The name derives from the day Muhammad Ali died, when the band was formed. In its indie days, they drew attention by being selected as Hermes’ highlight artist. In November 2019, they released their first CD album, “ALI.” To commemorate the release, they held their first one-man tour, “Wild Side Tour 2019,” in Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo. The following November they made their major debut and released their 4-track major 1st single, “LOST IN PARADISE feat. AKLO.” With lavish guest appearances across genres, the title track has become the ending theme for the MBS/TBS TV anime “Jujutsu Kaisen,” drawing attention. Led by vocalist LEO, all members are part of a multinational musical collective rooted in Japan, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, ALI, whose supreme groove you should be intoxicated by.

-----------------------
ALI’s Comment
“We’re free to drink, to eat, and to dance.” That’s what LEO said at the previous Billboard Live Yokohama stage. Billboard Live brings the audience and the stage close. And there, with glasses and meals, the psychological distance closes even more than the physical distance.

ALI’s crossover sensibility, blending rock ’n’ roll / R&B, soul, jazz, ska / reggae, etc., isn’t so much that they cross genre boundaries in theory; rather, all of these share a common thread with the joys, sorrows, cries, and conversations of the people—the fundamental charm that resides in popular music.

Bars, pubs, izakayas, private parties. There, someone may start singing or playing an instrument, or drop the needle on a record, and the music circle widens. What would happen if we pursued that sensation—the everyday moments of people around the world and those cinematic scenes—through overwhelming performances? Yes, this is a panorama of the world’s taverns. With vocals, chorus, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, strings, and a horn section, performed by the whole family, this is the most real yet dreamy musical voyage.

And the audience, too, becomes a member of that family, helping to create such blissful moments together.

We look forward to seeing you at the show.