Alexis Sato, 27, is an Osaka native with global connections. Half-Japanese, half-Trinidadian, he moved to the United States for high school before starting a career in music as a tour photographer. Having attended 500 events and festivals in 30 different countries over the course of five years, Alexis put the suitcase to one side in 2020 and founded Tsunagu Music — an agency based in Tokyo that specializes in artist bookings, event planning and talent management.
1. What were some of your early introductions to music? I started going to Osaka International School from the seventh grade and was introduced to a lot of American culture and music, specifically New York hip-hop. The crazy beats and synthesizers on tracks by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest and MF Doom are what really got me.
2. Moving to the U.S. must have been exciting then? My high school was in New Jersey, but every week I’d take the subway into New York, go to record stores and feel like I was touching the roots of all those artists I was into.
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