My father, Tokiyoshi Harada, who has died aged 71, was nicknamed Kuma – meaning bear in Japanese – owing to his tall stature. As a bassist, Kuma was known for his pared-back groove and as a pioneer for Japanese musicians establishing careers outside the country.
Born in Sapporo to Sakae Harada, who worked in advertising, and Yoshie (nee Ichishima), Kuma was the youngest of four children and attended Yamahana elementary school. He completed his studies on the road, choosing to attend a travelling musical high school founded by the Moral Re-Armament (MRA) movement and based in Odawara, performing as part of its Sing Out Japan group. Afterwards, he got a job performing on the popular music show Stage 101 on the TV channel NHK (Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai).
Kuma left Japan in 1970, crossing Russia on the Trans-Siberian railway to join the Munich production of the musical Hair, before moving on to settle in London in 1971. In the capital’s cosmopolitan 1970s music scene, Kuma found his home, making his name as a studio musician recording with artists such as Van Morrison, Mick Taylor, Kate Bush and Billy Ocean. There, he met Deborah Morgan; they married in 1985 and had two children before separating and divorcing years later. Kuma also had a son with Antonella Mancini, whom he had met in the 80s.
In the same decade he reduced his studio work to focus on playing Caribbean influenced jazz-funk with his great musical love, the Breakfast Band, and collaborating with the blues guitarist Snowy White. This period marked his move into production, when he produced and played bass on Snowy’s 1984 hit Bird of Paradise.
Soon afterwards, Kuma’s friendship with Michael Spencer, a violinist in the LSO, led to them collaborating on musical education workshops across Japan that included most of the country’s major orchestras.
In the 90s Kuma set up a recording studio in Shoreditch and co-founded (with Alex Gover) Barefoot Cultural Exchange – a programme that ran for 15 years and brought promising young Japanese footballers to the UK to learn English and improve their game.
Later on he moved to Hertford to live next door to his daughter, Kalin. He continued to play his gig with Ronnie Gordon at the Constitution in Camden, a popular night for ska enthusiasts, and toured with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, remaining a part of the band until he died.
He is survived by his three children, Kalin, Marco and me, and his sister, Kazue, and brother, Tadaki.
