NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) —   Yoshio Toyama, The Japanese Satchmo made his annual pilgrimage to New Orleans to play Satchmo Summerfest, and photojournalist Ed Matthews got Toyama’s story in his own words.

Toyama states, “I happened to read a book written by Louis Armstrong. His autobiography called….uhm…Satchmo My Life in New Orleans. And uhm…I was fascinated in the tours Louie did back in the 20s and also all those hit songs, Hello Dolly…ahh…Blueberry Hill…it just got me. Yeah, I like it so much.

I started coming here since2003 the 3rd Festival we`ve been coming here every year for 13 years. And uhm…its very special feeling for me because we lived here and uhm…we`ve been coming back so many times….I get…I get more and more kind of …I can get them in groove…you know.

I copy New Orleans birth of jazz and rhythm and swing…fun. The hurricane hit this town…we, we had first concert in Japan. To ahh..support New Orleans. We, we send them little horns for the uhm…donations.

Well we have earthquake they do that for us. This is the time for us to help you. And they sent instruments to the little kids who lost ahh…horns and tsunami and they made come back. And after that we were…were able make an exchange. Brought New Orleans kids to…to Japan, than Japanese children to New Orleans. Satchmo Summer Fest 3 years ago.

I…I say he`s smiling up there, saying OOoo Yeaaah!” (Laughing)