Rimi Natsukawa 夏川 りみ |
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Natsukawa circa 1989 promoting "Shiori"
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Born |
兼久りみ (Kaneku Rimi?) October 9, 1973 Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan |
Nationality | Japanese |
Other names | 星 美里 (Hoshi Misato?) 玉木 りみ (Tamaki Rimi?) (married name) |
Occupation | Singer |
Years active | 1989–1992, 1999-present |
Website | www |
Musical career | |
Genres | J-pop, folk, Yaeyama folk song, Enka |
Labels |
Pony Canyon (1989–1992) Victor Entertainment (1999-) |
Associated acts | Andrea Bocelli, Begin, The Gospellers, Shoukichi Kina, Kiroro, Kobukuro, Misako Koja, Parsha Club, Noriyuki Makihara, Kazufumi Miyazawa, Ryoko Moriyama, Yasukatsu Ōjima, Shinji Tanimura, Chuei Yoshikawa |
Rimi Natsukawa (夏川 りみ Natsukawa Rimi?, born 9 October 1973) is a Japanese singer. She is best known for her 2001 single "Nada Sōsō."
Natsukawa was born in Ishigaki, the largest city in the Yaeyama Islands chain. From a young age she enjoyed singing, and wanted to be a singer after hearing her father sing Yaeyama folk songs, such as "Tsuki nu Kaisha" (月ぬ美しゃ Beauty of the Moon?) and "Densaa Bushi" (デンサー節 Tradition Song?). From age 7, she practiced two hours a day with her father to become an enka singer. At 9, she won a local singing contest (the Chibikko Nodo Jiman Daikai (ちびっこのど自慢大会 Our Tiny Kids' Throats Competition?)). Natsukawa continued to win competitions, and in 1984 won the MBS TV show Shirōto Meiji-kai (素人名人会 Amateur Master Meet?)'s grand prize. In 1986, she won the Nagasaki Kayōsai (長崎歌謡祭 Nagasaki Song Festival?)'s grand prize, and was the youngest person to win this prize at the time.