By RYO JOZUKA/ Staff Writer
October 22, 2022 at 08:00 JST
A Japanese girl once described as the reincarnation of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham is taking her already formidable percussion skills to the next level overseas.
Raised in Ishikari, Hokkaido, Yoyoka Soma, now 13, has always been surrounded by music.
When she was just 1 year old, she would always crawl toward a drum set. During her early childhood, her father, a city government official, and his friends often played music at their home.
She developed an impromptu drumming style while performing with her father and mother, and she played in a live concert at age 4.
But things drastically changed for Yoyoka when she was 8 years old.
In a video submitted for a drummer contest abroad, Yoyoka played the drums in a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times.”
The clip of the small, smiling girl nailing Bonzo’s heavy style went viral and caught the attention of overseas media.
Even Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant praised Yoyoka’s drumming skills.
Since then, Yoyoka has appeared on a popular U.S. talk show, performed in music festivals and played alongside Cyndi Lauper and other stars.
Yoyoka is often described as a child prodigy, but she doesn’t take pride in showing off her virtuoso techniques.
Instead, she pays attention to the sounds created by the band as a whole, wanting her drumming to complement the song and other instruments.
“Drums are linguistic because they can convey emotional waves,” Yoyoka said. “I learned it before Japanese, so it is my first language.”
In September, Yoyoka, her parents and her sibling moved to the United States to further advance her musical career.
She raised funds through a crowdfunding campaign to partially cover her activities in the country.
Although she has already gained fame, she intends to act above and beyond a drummer.
“I want to learn and feel in a place that is religiously and ethnically diversified to become an artist who can not only write and compose songs but also express things in an integrated manner,” Yoyoka said. “I’m also not selective about working in the music genre.”
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Yoyoka (Photo by Ryo Jozuka)
