[Electro Bossa]
No.148 "Pi-a-no" by Chisato Moritaka
Hi. Today's song is "PI-A-NO" by "Chisato Moritaka".
This is a relaxing duet song by "Chisato Moritaka" featuring a popular composer "Ken Shima" as a duet partner, on an electro acoustic sound in Bossa Nova rhythm.
The song might be categorised in Electro Bossa, but the feeling is a lot more natural and acoustic.
If you like, please listen to.
Links to the music shops, offering song samples, are located on the bottom of this page.
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Cover art today
Song data
| Title | PI-A-NO |
|---|---|
| Artist | Chisato Moritaka |
| Album Title | Mii Haa |
| Catalog Number | WPCL-503 |
| Track No. | 5 |
| Duration | 4:52 |
| Released | 1988 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Kanon Kuwa Lyricist
Kanon Kuwa is a professional popular song lyricist active since 1992.
He has written many hit songs by offering them to the various J-pop artists including a famous group "SMAP", or an Anime, and pop-song singer "Hekiru Shiina".
Early career
Kanon Kuwa was a member of an amateur band. Seemingly, it became a motivation for him to get into a music.
After graduating a university, he joined a Japan's leading FM radio station "FM Tokyo" in 1983, and began to work as a Radio drama writer.
In parallel, he also started working as a copy writer. And threw himself into this job after he left from the radio station.
While he was doing this job, he was also setting out for writing lyrics for pop music.
And finally in 1992, he debuted as a lyricist with his first song, "Boku-ha kimi-no Tinker Bell" sang by an idol star "Hiroko Moriguchi".
Popular lyricist
Since then, he has written many songs to dozens of pops singers.
Just a few of his famous songs are, for example,
- Akina Nakamori
- Sweet suspicion
- Kazuhito Murata
- Fade Away
- Hekiru Shiina
- Kiss-ga tarinai
- SMAP
- Part Time Kiss, Cry, Ame-ga Yamanai
- Shōnen-tai
- Baby Baby Baby, Let Me Love You
And so on...
"Kuwa" has also written some songs for a few of unqiue Anime series as well.
References
For more information about "Kanon Kuwa", please check the references below.
Ken Shima Composer & Arranger
"Ken Shima" is a Jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and music producer active since 1970.
He is not just a indispensable piano player in the Jazz scene, but also an award winning arranger on the popular music field.
Early days
"Ken Shima" was grown in a music family and began to learn the piano from early times.
He set out to work as a studio musician in his 20th, and continued to play until he became 28 years old in 1978.
On the same year, "Shima" decided to go to the United States to study and play Jazz.
Then, he went to Los Angels, and entered a music school.
After graduating from the music school, he didn't come back to Japan, but started a career as a Jazz pianist in America, by joining groups like "Allen Vizzutti"(tr) band, or "Bunny Brunel" (Bs) band, around 1981.
From 1982, "Shima" expanded his field of activity, and participated in a North and South America tour of "José Feliciano".
Not only that, but he took part in numerous number of recording as a studio musician, or had a session with the musicians like "Joe Farrell" (sax), "Tony Williams" (ds), "Don Alias" (per), "Joe Henderson" (sax), or "Billy Higgins" (ds), until he came back to Japan in 1986.
As an arranger
After returned to Japan, he began to work hard again, not only as a Jazz pianist, but as an arranger this time.
He has arranged wide range of popular music from the latest pop-rock to traditional "Enka" category.
His music arrangements with contemporary flair attracted listeners, and "Shima" gradually gained the position as a preferred arranger of various music artists.
Awards
In 2000, a "Souther all-stars"s song "Tsunami", which "Ken Shima" participated as a string arranger, became a big hit, and achieved an incredible sales of 2 million disks.
This song was also given a Grand Prix of Japan Record Awards in 2000, and it was certainly an honor for him as well.
And in 2002, an "Ayumi Hamasaki"s song "Voyage", which "Ken Shima" arranged, also received a Grand Prix of Japan Record Award 2002.
By these success, "Ken Shima" established his name well.
Recent
As a Jazz pianist, or as a music producer, he has been having busy days same as before.
Since 1994, "Ken Shima" and a his partner "Kaho Shimada", who is also a popular singer, are holding concerts in simple style regularly.
"Kaho Shimada & Ken Shima duo concert" is the name of the series. It seems they are holding concerts 5-10 times a year.
If you like, please join.
References
For more information about "Ken Shima", please check the references below.
Video clip
Finally, this is a music clip of "Hurricane", an instrumental track of "Shima-ken"s, and filmed on on of his special concerts titled, "The SOUND of SHIMAKEN vol.1" held in 2016.
"The SOUND of SHIMAKEN" is a unique concert series that "Shima-ken" collaborates with "TOKYO NEW CITY ORCHESTRA", and performs various instrumental, or vocal music of "Shima-ken" in a large concert hall.
In the concert, a few of prominent singers also participated, and performed their songs which was written by, and offered to them by "Shima-ken".
A contrast between a tense note of the acoustic piano, and an overwhelming sound power of the Orchestra, is marvellous.
If you like, please listen to.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Electro Bossa
This is a relaxed duet song in a little bit futuristic Electro Bossa style.
Soothing human piano solo(s) in an electronic sound is showing a good contrast.
Relaxing duet
A digital sound of the rhythm box, and the synthesizer begins a little futuristic, but somewhat acoustic introduction.
In the main melody, 2 vocalists, namely "Chisato Moritaka" & "Ken Shima" begin to sing a very much relaxing duet.
In the bridge, an excellent piano solo (electronic piano?) is performed by a singer & pianist "Ken Shima".
And in the end, there will be a breezy "Fender Rhodes" solo play performed by "Chisato Moritaka".
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Chisato MoritakaAn amazing entertainer
"Chisato Moritaka" is a singer, songwriter, idol star, drummer, bassist, TV character, Radio personality, and photo model active since 1986.
Doubtlessly, one of the most talented, and remarkable pop singers in the '80s & '90s.
As a singer, "Moritaka" debuted in 1987 with a single, "NEW SEASON". Since then, 40 singles, and 14 original, 1 live, and 6 best albums, plus 24 DVDs have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Chisato Moritaka)
Early days
"Chisato Moritaka" began to learn the piano when she was small, and continued it until high school.
In a middle school, she joined a school brass band, and played the clarinet in the team.
After entering high school, she teamed up an amateur band, and played the drums, or the electric bass in there.
Debut
In 1986, while "Moritaka" was a student of a high school, she auditioned a promotion model for a soft drink brand, and won the cup.
Soon after that, she moved to Tokyo, and attained her first appearance on the advertising.
And in 1987, she debuted as a singer with her first single "New Season".
Give a glimpse of her talent
At first, she was performing as an idol star, like appearing on TV varieties, or movies. But, she began to change her direction to more music-oriented, after experienced a solo live stage in the same year
In 1988, she released a song titled "Mii Haa" (trendy fangirl, or fanboy) , which she wrote a lyric for the first time in life, on her 2nd album of the same title.
The lyrics was remarkably eccentric, but well expressing a raw emotion of young women.
It attracted attentions not only from listeners, but also from professionals in the music scene.
simulcast on Youtube Chisato Moritaka 2013 [CD+DVD]
Blooming
It seems it was a springboard for "Moritaka".
After this song, she gradually increased the number of her original songs.
Like, "Mii Haa" (trendy fangirl, or fanboy), "A stress", "Watashi-ha onchi" (I'm tone-deaf),... some of the songs she wrote had unique titles, and impressive expressions in the lyrics.
And from the 4th album, all the lyrics of her songs came to be written by her.
She quickly gained her popularity in the popular music scene, by her honest message through the songs.
In parallel, she also began to to play instruments on the recording, or live concerts.
As mentioned before, she has been playing various instruments since childhood. And particularly the keyboards, and drums, she can play them at professional level.
She gradually expanded the range of instruments she plays on the recording, like the bass, guitar. And in 1992, she finally released a mostly self-produced album "Pepper-land".
Self produce
A curious fact on "Chisato Moritaka", was she had been acting like an idol star, even she was actually more like a singer-songwriter, or musician in reality.
Actually being an idol star is not an easy job, since it requires some cute looking, and more importantly, the person must have a charming personality.
But, on TV varieties, or live concerts, "Moritaka" performed a role of an idol star almost perfectly, and attracted a lot of boys & girls.
And at the same time, she continued to create excellent Pop songs, and impressed many pop-rock fans.
As a result, she successfully made herself one of the most unique pop-rock singers in the J-pop.
A very smart person.
Marriage & child-rearing
"Moritaka" married with a nice gentleman in 1999.
After a while, the couple was blessed with 2 children. And "Moritaka" set herself to dedicate for child-rearing.
Then, she tentatively stop music activity until around 2009.
(Declaration of being a non powerful artist) Chisato Moritaka 1989 [New & used CD]
Recent
In 2012, "Moritaka" celebrated her 25th anniversary as a pop singer.
Taking this as a good opportunity, she restarted her music activity by holding live concerts, or releasing albums.
Among them, a surprising project was "The 25th anniversary self cover series, LOVE".
On this venture, "Moritaka" challenged to cover 200 songs she recorded on the past. They were divided into 10 volumes, so each volume contained 20 songs.
And each volume consists of 2 DVDs + 2 CDs, which were with ant without movie respectively.
This big series was finally completed after 5 years later in 2017.
Then in 2017, "Moritaka" toasted the 30th anniversary this time.
She is actively participating in various music event like before.
References
For more detailed information about "Chisato Moritaka, please have a look at the references linked below.
Video clip
Finally, we would like to introduce a music clip of today's song "Pi-a-no" performed by "Chisato Moritaka".
This music clip was once in a category of "auto generated topic by Youtube". So, we were wondering what exactly was it though it looked all right.
But now, the music clip has been placed under the official channel of "Chisato Moritaka". So, it is clear.
If you like, please listen to.
Music Samples
5
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Amazon JP(en)
recochoku.jp
Apple Music(jp)
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | PI-A-NO(PIANO) |
|---|---|
| Artist | 森高千里(Chisato Moritaka) |
| Album Title | ミーハー(Mii Haa) |
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