We are raising funds to bring talented international artists to the World EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan. In August of the 80th year since World War II ended, these musicians will represent global unity and advocate for peace on an international stage, sharing messages of hope, resilience, and cultural harmony with audiences from every corner of the world.

Songs for World Peace is a volunteer-led initiative fueled by musicians, producers, and peace advocates who believe in the power of music to create change. Without outside funding, the costs of bringing these artists together must be covered entirely out of our two co-founders’ pockets. Your support ensures that our artists can focus on what they do best, creating and sharing music that inspires peace.

We cannot do it without your support.

World EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan, is an official World’s Fair, a major international event where countries gather to showcase innovation, culture, and solutions for global challenges. Millions of visitors from over 150 countries are expected to attend.

The theme, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," highlights ideas and initiatives that can create a better world, including our message of peace through music. Performing at the World EXPO is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to share hope and unity on a truly global stage.

Music has always played a powerful role in times of turmoil. Today, as global conflicts intensify, amplifying the voices of peace is more urgent than ever. By supporting this project, you are helping bring a message of unity to the world through music.

Your contribution will help cover:

Our immediate goal is to raise $5,000 to help our artists and collaborators share their message at one of the world’s largest global events. This crowdfunding effort is part of a broader campaign that also includes sponsorships and personal contributions.

Every gift, no matter the size, brings us closer to showcasing a truly global choir and an international band that embodies hope, collaboration, and cultural resilience.

This is an opportunity to showcase a truly global choir and an international band at one of the world's largest and recognized events.

We are honored to bring these incredible artists to the World EXPO 2025:

Joy Ai Johnson (from Hawaii, USA)

Joy is a talented singer and performer with a degree in Performance from the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Specializing in the soulful genres of R&B and Soul, Joy combines technical mastery with a deep passion for music to create captivating performances that resonate with audiences.

During their time at Berklee, Joy honed their craft under the guidance of world-class educators and developed a rich understanding of vocal techniques, stage presence, and musical expression. Their training has equipped them with the versatility and artistry needed to excel in any musical endeavor.

Joy’s musical journey has been enriched by their experience touring with a gospel group, bringing uplifting and spiritual messages to communities. This meaningful endeavor showcased their ability to connect deeply with audiences and highlighted their dedication to using music as a source of inspiration and hope.

In addition to their academic achievements and gospel touring experience, Joy has collaborated with various artists, contributing to the creation of albums and enriching projects with their distinctive voice and unique musical style. Joy is deeply dedicated to their artistic growth and continues to explore opportunities to bring heartfelt music to the world.

With a growing resume of moving and energising performances alongside exciting recording projects, Kenyan singer-songwriter and producer Lisa Oduor-Noah is thrilled to share her craft with the world. Having developed a love for music at a very early age, her family’s influence was notable, clearly evidenced in her unique ability to traverse genres and carry an infectious cross-over appeal. 

Lisa has equally graced numerous world stages such as Coke Studio Africa, The Global Citizen, the Shanghai Jazz festival, just to name but a few. In 2022, the soulful singer embarked on an inaugural Australia tour, headlining the Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival, appeared at the Sydney Women’s Club, and Adelaide’s Nexus Arts. And due to great public demand, she returned to Australia in 2023, bringing the house down at the grand finale of the Canberra International Music Festival, appearing with the versatile pianist Aron Ottignon. 

Her silky voice took over the Bondi Pavilion in Sydney on Make Music Day, in a performance that was backed by Daniel Pliner, Nick Garbett, Chloe Kim, and Jacques Emery. Lisa’s eponymous debut album was released in 2022, with a live album from her Australia was released in 2023. Vinyl versions of her work are also due for release in mid-2025.

A Berklee College of Music graduate, Oduor-Noah hopes that through her musicianship, she can be an agent of hope, healing, and restoration while creating wholehearted moments of connection.

Utako Toyama from Osaka, Japan, is a multi-award-winning composer and founder of the global project band SkyBridge, as well as the co-founder of the Songs for World Peace initiative. She received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in Contemporary Music Composition and Production, and was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Artistry Award.

Inspired by collaborations with musicians from many countries, she launched SkyBridge to promote diversity, equity, and world peace through music. As SkyBridge, she has performed with artists from over 47 countries, including Grammy-winning musicians such as Mark Walker and Victor Wooten.

After graduating, Toyama was granted exceptional talent visas in both the U.S. and the UK. She became the first Japanese songwriter to receive multiple finalist awards in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and gained further recognition in contests such as SongStar and RAWA. She has performed at prestigious venues and events, including Harvard University, MIT, Boston Japan Festival, and the Women Musicians Network concert at Berklee.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-founded Songs for World Peace, a global initiative featuring artists from over 100 countries. Her composition “We Declare Peace” was featured by UN Women’s Global Voices Film Festival. In 2022, she became the first-ever recipient of the Hiroshima Award for her international peace work. She is currently based in London, continuing her mission through music.

Yoshie is a composer, arranger, music producer, and educator from Tokyo, Japan. She received a degree in Music Education from Kunitachi College of Music, and later graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Contemporary Writing and Production (CWP) major with a scholarship.

In 2020, she co-founded the international peace music initiative ”Songs for World Peace”. She joined the faculty at Berklee College of Music in 2021 as an Assistant Professor in the CWP Department and was appointed Assistant Chair of the department in 2023.

Her published works are archived at the Library of Congress in Japan and have been performed internationally, including by UNIVOZ Vocal Ensemble, the winner of the TV competition show, “Sing That Thing!”. Her music videos have appeared in the “Global Voices Film Festival” and on Fuji TV. Her a cappella piece, "Blame It on the COVID-19 "won top honors at Japan’s “Tele-Chorus Project”. She also appeared as a trombonist in Amazon Prime’s "Goliath", cast personally by the lead actor and co-director of the show, Billy Bob Thornton.

She has worked and continues to perform and collaborate with internationally recognized artists and ensembles, including Alejandro Sanz, Infinity Song, Joyce Moreno, säje, Splice, Victory Boyd, and Women of the World.

Through her work around the world, she continues to use music as a tool for education and to promote peace and unity.

Takafumi Suenaga is a pianist and composer whose musical voice bridges jazz tradition with global perspectives. 

He received a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. He was selected for the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, a special program at Berklee College of Music, and was involved in performances and music education around the world while still a student there.

After graduating at the top of his class from Berklee College of Music, he moved to New York City, where he has been actively performing at various famous jazz events and jazz clubs such as the Newport Jazz Festival, the Panama Jazz Festival, Blue Note NYC, and Smalls Jazz Club. Since his return to Japan in 2018, he has been performing in Japan at the beginning of 2020. His first leader trio album “Greeting” was released in 2020.

He has performed with internationally acclaimed legends such as Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Antonio Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, Miguel Zenon, Myron Walden, Patrick Bartley, and Adam Neely, just to name a few.

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These artists are ready to represent a world united by music, but they need your support to make it possible.
We also welcome a choir of aspiring local musicians from the Osaka School of Music (OSM), joining us through our partnership.

When you support Songs for World Peace, you become part of a global movement dedicated to unity, hope, and cultural connection. Your generosity not only brings powerful music to the world stage but also connects you personally to the movement.

As a valued supporter, you will enjoy early access to new peace songs, exclusive behind-the-scenes updates, personalized thank-you messages, invitations to virtual donor appreciation events, and special digital gifts that celebrate your role in advancing peace through music.

Every contribution helps amplify voices for peace when the world needs them most.

Your generosity helps ensure that the voices of peace will be heard when they are needed most.
 
Stand with us. Support the power of music today.

Learn more about Songs for World Peace

Contact us at contact@songsforworldpeace.org