Kingo Hamada is a Japanese singer-songwriter whose 1982 song “Machi no Dolphin” became internationally known after it was sampled in Engelwood’s 2017 future-funk track “Crystal Dolphin”.[1][2]
Career
A childhood violinist who switched to guitar, Hamada joined the folk group Craft in 1974 and went solo with Manhattan in the Rain (1980) on Air Records.[1][2] He moved to the newly formed Moon Records for Midnight Cruisin’ (1982), the album that contains “Machi no Dolphin”, and Mugshot (1983).[1] His agency billed him “When you think of Hamada, you think of Kingo” to distinguish him from the unrelated Shōgo Hamada.[1]
“Crystal Dolphin”
In 2017 Matt Engels, recording as Engelwood, sampled “Machi no Dolphin” for “Crystal Dolphin”, which became an internet meme and sent new listeners back to Hamada’s original.[1][2]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Manhattan in the Rain | Air Records |
| 1981 | Gentle Travelin’ | Air Records |
| 1981 | Feel the Night | Air Records |
| 1982 | Midnight Cruisin’ | Moon Records |
| 1983 | Mugshot | Moon Records |
| 1985 | Heart Cocktail | Eastworld |
| 1985 | Fall in Love | Eastworld |
| 1986 | From NY to LA | Air Records |
Notable songs
References
- “Kingo Hamada”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “Iconic City Pop Songs Covered or Sampled by Overseas Artists”. Tokyo Weekender. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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