KOKIA

KOKIA , of its true name Akiko Yoshida (), is a Japanese artist , singer and composer-songwriter, born the July 22nd 1976 with Tōkyō whose musical style usually approaches a mixture of music pop Japanese woman and of lyric music. It is the little sister of the violonist Kyōko Yoshida.

Biography

KOKIA like much Japanese is initiated with the music very early, in particular the Piano and the Violon. It joined the Summer Music School in the U.S.A. with 10 then at 14 years, and improves its English. It is in particular thanks to these experiments which it acquires the certainty which it is possible to touch people thanks to the music and the songs, and this same if it is not in the same language.

Graduate of Toho Gakuen, the prestigious academy of music of Tōkyō, in the section opera, it is in the lyric register that it is distinguished, for its vocal qualities.

Its first track records proceed whereas it is still at the university, thanks to a friend who forwards a demonstration types at several recording companies. It is Toshifumi Hinata at Pony Canyon which detects the first its potential and very quickly decides to make him make its beginnings on the label, on the original soundtrack of the video game Tail Concerto, in April 1998. It is the beginning of its career.

Developing very quickly a musical universe good with it, KOKIA with also its way own to be put in scene. Often singing foot naked (even in concert, as it was the case at the time of its first European passage to Paris in 2006) and equipped with simple clothing, often of loose white dresses without ornaments, KOKIA seems to manage to maintain its style clean without letting itself influence by the modes of the Japanese pop production. When with its performance vocal, they often enabled him to attract itself the favors of the advertisers for the film promotion, Anime, or publicity.

Musical career

In 1999 the first individual personnel leaves KOKIA, Aishiterukara , which will enter directly signal 20 Japanese. The piece is composed of a relatively childish and crystalline song on a simplistic and sweetened melody, like its other first compositions, as well as the majority of the titles drawn from Songbird , its first album published in July 1999. Meanwhile, the singer will have also attracted herself the favors of Yōko Kanno which chooses it to interpret the credits of the Anime Brain Powered.

But more than in Japan, it is especially in the remainder of Asia that KOKIA forges a solid notoriety, in particular from the fact that the promotion which surrounds it is well in on this side other stars of Jpop like Ayumi Hamasaki. Its third individual Arigatô (of which it is the compositrice), carried out in June 1999, gains the third place of Popular Music Award in HongKong. This same song was very quickly taken again by the famous actress/Cantonese singer Sammi Cheng and arrived at the head of the classifications of the same year. The first song of its first album was used for the music of a publicity for cosmetics FANCL, which contributed enormously to its popularity. Its first concert proceeded in Hong-Kong the same year. Although the publicity in this concert was made only with the radio, the concert had a strong success. She also works with Ryuichi Kawamura on project RKS in company of the Risa singer.

KOKIA will take again its activity of singer only in 2001, after a one year pause to be taken part in other groups as a vocalist. It took part as a guest in a concert of charity organized in Hong-Kong for the fight against drugs. The singer also makes speak about it with Taiwan where it will become the first Japanese artist to occur before the local government at the time of the midnight supper 2001-2002.

But KOKIA remains far from known on the Japanese archipelago, for lack of promotion. In order to reconquer the public of his native land, Victor Entertainment makes it sign under his label, where it will leave in May 2001 its 4th individual: Tomoni . Say Hi! (retained for a publicity for the Shiseido cosmetics) and Tenshi will follow the same year before the exit of the second album of the singer on January 23rd, 2002 entitled trip trip where it develops in more marked way her potentel vocal. This album also marks the beginnings of the collaboration of KOKIA with an important figure for the continuation of its career: Taisuke Sawachika, which will arrange several titles of the artist and will be his pianist on the majority in his concerts. She also specifically wrote a song for a publicity for the Suntory Woolong tea in China. A special version of the album trip trip, including this song, was developed specifically for the Chinese market.

May 28th proceeded a concert with the " SHIBUYA ONE AIR WEST". This-time the concert was promoted only by Internet, but nearly 700 people assitèrent there.

In 2003 " KAWARANAI KOTO - since1976-" became the song topic of " The Power off Smile" and of the Drama " Dear person" (Fuji Network Television). Its new album Remember me mark recognition by the Japanese public and its return on the archipelago like its best sale of album.

2004 are the coming out date of its last album in date, ATU ga will chikara . The song " Yume ga Chikara" becomes when with it the official song of the Japanese Olympic team for the plays of Athens.

January 1st, 2006 east left Have No Melody/Chouwa ~oto with reflection~ , individual of quality whose promotion was launched several months in advance and who will be used as topic with cartoon film very awaited Origine ( Gin-iro No Kami No Agito ). February 1st then, KOKIA carries out its first best-of , makes of it a compilation of its best songs of the period 2003-2005 decorated of many news versions, and accompanied by its very first DVD of clips.

KOKIA in Europe

Taking part in the rise in the concerts of Jpop in France, KOKIA was in concert with Paris on January 21st, 2006 with space Saint Martin's day (3rd district). A few days after the setting in reservation of the 400 places, the spectacle was complete besides. Its 2nd concert in Paris on January 20th, 2007 in Bataclan is a success even larger with closed counters with 1200 sold places. KOKIA interprête mainly of the songs drawn from sound all new album Listen for the coils there, while being accompanied by its two musicians

KOKIA will start in 2008 a European round, with three concerts envisaged:

on March 22nd, with the House of Reciprocity in Paris, for a concert " best of" in front of 1700 people.
on March 23rd, with the Coffee of the dance in Paris (250 places) for a new concert.
on March 25th, with the Botanical with Brussels, for an acoustic concert where KOKIA will only sing on scene while being accompanied with the Piano.

Albums

songbird
trip trip
Remember me
Utaga Chikara
Pearl the best collection * Aigakikoeru Listen for the coils (published by Kaze in France the 11/1/06)

Individual

Aishite Iru Kara
Have No Rinkaku
Tears in Coils
Arigatou…
goes one forever
melody
Kanata made
tomoni
Say Hi!!
Tenshi
Ningentte Sonnamonone
Kawaranaikoto ~since 1976~
The Power off Spalling hammer
so much coils for you
Yume ga Chikara
dandelion
time to say goodbye
Peace Road
Have No Melody/Chowa oto ~with reflection~ * Arigatou… (the pearl edition) * Follow the Nightingale/say goodbye & good day

List songs interpreted with the concert 2006 in France

01 - has gift
02 - Prolog ~Remember me~
03 - Uchuu ga
04 - Tenshi
05 - Futari No musume
06 - Calimba Thank
07 - dandelion
08 - The Power off Spalling hammer ~a gentle breeze~
09 - Pinku No zou
10 - I believe ~umi No soko kara~
11 - Remember the KIS
12 - Chouwa oto ~with reflection~
13 - Have No Melody
14 - Arigatou
STILL: time to say goodbye

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