Nao Yoshioka

Nao Yoshioka (born March 2, 1988) is a soul singer and songwriter from Osaka, Japan, now based in New York City. Early life Yoshioka was born in Osaka, Japan on 2 March 1988. Her father studied painting and eventually became an interior designer. Her mother was an illustrator before becoming a dress designer. Yoshioka's parents encouraged her and her two older sisters to explore creative pursuits. Yoshioka attended an arts high school and studied painting and sculpture, eventually joining a band as a vocalist. Yoshioka entered a debut recording competition sponsored by a music vocational school and won. She then worked with a vocal trainer and learned more about blues and soul music.