Akihiro Miwa
| Akihiro Miwa 美輪 明宏 |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Shingo Maruyama May 15, 1935 Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan |
| Occupation | Singer, drag queen, director, composer, author |
Akihiro Maruyama (丸山 明宏 Maruyama Akihiro?, born Shingo Maruyama, May 15, 1935 in Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture), better known by his stage name Akihiro Miwa (美輪 明宏 Miwa Akihiro?), is a Japanese singer, actor, director, composer, and author. He writes most of his own music and has written over 20 books. Miwa is openly gay, and a drag queen who is known for having shoulder-length bright yellow hair.
Miwa was born to a family which ran a small café. After seeing the movie Boy Soprano at the age of 11, he claims to have had a dream in which he was standing on stage in a concert hall, singing. It was this which inspired his interest in music. He attended the Kunitachi College of Music High School at the age of 15.
He started his career at 17 as a professional cabaret singer in the Ginza district in Chūō, Tokyo, when moving to Tokyo in 1952. He started working in various nightclubs singing his favourites from the French chansons such as those of Édith Piaf, Yvette Guilbert and Marie Dubas. His claim to fame came rather early in 1957, with a smash-hit called "Me Que Me Que", which included a string of profanities not used in media at the time. He was also renowned for his effeminate beauty, making him a hit with the media. He performed a monthly show at Shibuya Jean-Jean called "Akihiro Miwa no Sekai" (the world of Akihiro Miwa) from the 1970s until its closure in 2000, as well as touring Japan.
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