By NOEL D. FERRER
There’s a promising new performer in the mainstream music scene – Mike Shimamoto.
Mike first fell in love with music in church. Some of his earliest memories were singing along to songs during mass. He joined the parish youth prayer community when he was 10 and instantly fell in love with praise and worship music. He didn’t know he could sing at the time but just instinctively felt he needed to be part of something this incredible. It was only when his teachers in Ateneo took notice and started making him sing during Mass that he realized, “Oh, I guess people don’t mind hearing me sing.”
Starting out in church, he initially sang a lot of Hillsong, Bukas Palad and various pop songs, from “Lead Me Lord” by Arnel de Pano to “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. Despite others suggesting he pursue mainstream music, Mike didn’t aspire to it. For him, music was a means to understand the world, share stories, and worship.
In 2017, during a challenging time for him and his family, Mike formed the band haru to express gratitude to his supportive community. This led to their debut collection, “Kazoku: family,” and the inception of “Tagpuan,” an intimate story-sharing event aimed at fostering community and expression.
Supporting haru’s cause is simple: explore their platforms (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok) and attend upcoming story-sharing events like “Tagpuan.” Additionally, they offer workshops where audiences can learn storytelling across mediums such as songwriting, photography, poetry, and more.
In addition to his band endeavors, Mike has ventured into film and performed at notable events. He did “Still,” an original series with music featuring Christian Bautista, Gab Pangilinan, Julie Anne San Jose, among others. He also worked on the movie “Aster,” which is still unreleased, alongside Gab Pangilinan and Celeste Legaspi. Late last year, he performed as a front act for the highly successful “All Hits” concert of Odette Quesada.
Upon Odette’s request, Mike recorded “I Love You More Now” under her Oqpied label. “I Love You More Now” is now available on Spotify and other music streaming platforms.
Mike is set to embark on a major concert in September with another talented high school classmate, Toma Cayabyab.
But has Mike totally embraced mainstream work?
“I think what made the difference for me was number one, clarity of mission and number two, finding the right community,” he replied, “Early on in my singing career, if I can even call it that, there seemed to be a greater focus on me as a personality – not just my music or art, but my private life.
“Being very introverted and averse to being in the public eye, this made me deeply uncomfortable and realize that that wasn’t what I was looking for,” he continued. “But realizing that I could point people to hope and faith, and that I had a community around me that was willing to help bring this vision to life through art, it gave me confidence to open up, stand under the spotlight if needed, and shine a light on these very important and needed themes.
“Personally, I have a lot of music I want to create. Songs I’ve accumulated and continue to write, that I want to produce and share. More than that, I want to focus building our community in haru: to welcome more artists to our community who encourage, collaborate, and inspire one another. I also want to create more story-sharing events where people can enjoy different forms of art, but feel safe to feel and share their stories, too,” he added.
We asked Mike which songs he listens to for inspiration on days of reflection, like this holiest of weeks. Below is his list, plus his reasons for choosing them.
“Beautiful Mess” by Jason Mraz – This reminds me of the moment I fell in love with live performances and being fully present in your art.”
“Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice – Brings me back to when I would listen to my brother’s music and simpler times.
“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell – Being in awe of a true master singing about a well lived, present, thoughtful life.
“Ocean” by John Butler – Evokes deep emotions within and helps me reflect about life and the journey rather than destination.
“Shadow Days” by John Mayer – Reminds me of the importance of earnest, honest writing rather than mental gymnastics or superlatives.
“Old Friends” by Ben Rector – Reminds me of my closest friends and the time we used to make music as a way of enjoyment and exploration rather than practical application.
“State Lines” by Novo Amor – Slows my breath, lets me take things slower.
“Close To You” by Carpenters – Reminds me of my mom and Sunday mornings waking up to her busy around the house.
“Homesick” by Kings of Convenience – Brings me back to my purpose and the stillness of who I really am.
“O” by Coldplay – Reminds me of God and how He accompanies me through life, giving me courage that no matter what’s thrown at me, He’s right there with me.
The five songs that describe him as an artist and a person are: “Finally Home” by MercyMe, “Little Love” by Gabriel Kahane, “The Boy’s Gone” by Jason Mraz, “Sails” by Pat Barrett, and “In the Silence” by JP Cooper.
Why? Mike explained: “I think at my core, I’m traveler on a long journey home. Many of my songs anchor on the theme of this homecoming. There’s a deep captivated love that resides between me and God. I am motivated to fulfill my mission in life because I know that’s why God has placed me on this Earth for and that it brings Him joy. Not to earn my right by His side but to live this life I’ve been given as best as I can so that when He welcomes me again, I have plenty of wonderful, interesting stories to share.”
For his growing followers, Mike has nothing but gratitude. “Thank you for those who have supported me through these years, whether that’s been through praise and worship music, covers of love songs, or my own music. Know that I don’t take for granted the stories you’ve shared with me and the space you’ve allowed me to inhabit to create my art. I think in many ways, that’s all what we crave from one another: to know that in this crazy, confusing world, we aren’t wading through the darkness alone, but rather we are seen, and heard, and felt. Your story is a light that flickers through these hard times. May you find the courage to share it, in whatever form that may be, so that it can serve as a guide for the rest of us, and those who will come after.”
One word that Mike strongly identifies with is “spring,” which signifies hope in a tomorrow soon to come and gratefulness for the day we have now.
With his unwavering dedication and genuine passion, Mike Shimamoto is an artist deserving of support, respect, and love.
