Kozue Chinen

Kozue Chinen

Kozue Chinen is from Iejima island, Okinawa prefecture. She began her career as an Okinawa traditional folk song singer in 2005. In 2008, she studied under the late Misako Ooshiro, a veteran female singer of the Okinawa folk song industry. In 2013, she appeared on NHK Okinawa <Songs and Dances> program in the <Inheriting Island Songs: Young Folk Song Singers Special> segment. In 2017, she appeared on NHK Okinawa <Songs and Dances> program in the <Songs of War> segment. In 2018, she performed at the <Songs of the Islands: Island Grudge and Compassion> song concert at the National Theater Okinawa, directed by Kazufumi Miyazawa of THE BOOM. In 2019, she performed at the <Yui Music Festival> in Nakagusukuson Village. In November of the same year, she appeared in the <63 Years of Singing concert by Sadao China>. In 2022, she won the songwriting award in the Mii Uta (Island Song) Competition, an Okinawan traditional folk music competition held in Okinawa, for the song <Shurayui>, which she wrote the lyrics and music for. Every year, Kozue performs at the <Iejima Yuri Festival> held in her hometown of Iejima, and she actively participates in charity concerts and condolence live performances. Currently, she is based in Okinawa and is an active in live performances both within and outside the prefecture, including overseas.