Hailing from Kanagawa, southwest of Tokyo, TENDRE (Taro Kawahara) was born into a musical dynasty. His father is the renowned jazz bassist Hideo Kawahara, and his mother is singer Atsuko Kawahara. In an interview where he wrote a letter to his 19-year-old self, he noted: "Regret is not a step backward; rather, it is like a seasoning that adds depth to the process."

As a youth, he attended a technical school where his father taught bass. It was a unique dynamic—at school, they barely spoke, but on the way home, they would always share the same car, a quiet bond formed through the commute.

Essential Listen 1: SOUL One can feel TENDRE’s affinity for contemporary masters like Thundercat, Dijon, and Jerome Zucker.

Diving deeper into the musical world, TENDRE transferred to a music university to master computer-based production. There, he studied PA (Public Address) engineering and learned to craft music using Logic. This technical foundation is likely the secret behind his exceptionally "crisp" and "sharp" sound. Through technology, he learned to materialize the sounds in his head—an ability distinct from his father’s traditional upright bass lineage. Choosing to transfer schools back then must have come with significant pressure and fear.

Essential Listen 2: RUNWAY (Official Visualizer)

TENDRE once shared two profound thoughts: "Imagining what someone else is thinking is fun, regardless of age or gender. If you can create something with others, it’s like communicating with them, and that’s bound to be interesting." He also said, "There is no such thing as a truly perfect final version of music or art; you need to trust your instincts and keep moving forward." It seems his musical training expanded his perspective from the notes themselves to the broader definition of art. TENDRE is clearly enjoying this journey of exploration.

Essential Listen 3: Nasakenai Hibi, Watashi (My Miserable Days) A song that lays out its chord progression with just a solo guitar. There is a simple beauty in this track; you can hear him pouring his heart into every note.

For TENDRE, the distance between him and music has always been close—much like a family member. We are thrilled to welcome this sincere artist from Kanagawa to Taiwan!

On the evening of March 1st, let’s meet at Billboard Live TAIPEI to exchange our hearts and moods with him.