In 1998, Chiemi Nakai moved to New York City to study at Queens College, earning an M.A. Jazz performance. Since 2000, she has played with many Salsa bands in NY and toured Europe with the “New York All-Stars Band,” including Dave Valentin (fl), Jimmy Bosch (tb), and Giovanni Hidalgo (congas). After the impact in the U.S. of Buena Vista Social Club, she began to play Afro-Cuban music exclusively. She started her own band and performed in venues such as the Blue Note, Subrosa, and Jazz at Kitano. She released her first CD “bridges” in 2008, the second CD “Transformation” in 2013 and her third CD “Ascendant” in 2019.
