A J!-ENT FEATURE ARTICLE & INTERVIEW 島谷ひとみ Shimatani Hitomi BY DENNIS A. AMITH & HIROSHI TAGAWA PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AVEX ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Shimatani Hitomi Official Website - www.avexnet.or.jp/shimatani J!-ENT
Image from Shimatani Hitomi s CD single Ai no Uta. Image courtesy of Avex Entertainment, Inc. A dash of pop, rock, Latin, Spanish, orchestral and other musical genres is something to expect from avex trax music artist Shimatani Hitomi. Among the many female artists on the avex trax label, Shimatani Hitomi is one unique artist that features a diversity within her music that no one can really predict what kind of music from Shimatani will come out with each CD single release. The singer first began in her career through the first annual Japan Audition back in 1997 held by avex trax where she bested over 200,000 girls to receive a recording contract. In 1999, Shimatani released her first CD single titled Osaka no onna (AVCD-20330, rel. July 28, 1999) which would be her debut as an enka artist and her last. Her second single Kaihoku (AVCD -30151, rel. Sept. 27, 2000) would reinvent her to become a pop artist and would be used on a commercial for the first time for Kanebo s REVUE. Shimatani would then win the New Artist of the Year at the Nippon Yusen Taishou Awards. Her third CD single PAPIYON ~papillon~ (rel. Feb. 2001) which was a cover of Janet Jackson s Doesn t Really Matter became a big hit for Shimatani selling over 200,000 copies and also be used for NTV s FUN. Her fourth CD single Ichiba no Ikko (AVCD-30247, Rel. May 30, 2001) would be her first CD single to be used as a theme song for TBS Wonderful followed up by her fifth CD single Yasashii Kiss no Mitsukekata (AVCD-30272, Rel. Sept. 12, 2001) which was used as an ending theme for TV Tokyo s ASAYAN. On June 27, 2001, Shimatani would release her first album PAPILLON (AVCD-11944) which debuted at #7 on the Oricon charts. On January 30, 2002, was the release of Shimatani s sixth CD single Shanty (AVCD-30315, Rel. Jan. 30, 2002) which would be her first drama theme song for TBS Pretty Girl. On May 2002, Shimatani would have her largest selling CD single Amairo no Kami no Otome (her seventh CD single) which debuted at #4 on the Oricon Charts and sold over 375,000 copies. Her second album titled Shanty (AVCD-17095, Rel. June 12, 2002) would be her first album debut at #1 on the Oricon Charts. On Oct. 23, 2002, Shimatani would then release her first DVD titled 8colors Hitomi Shimatani CLIPS+LIVE (AVBD-91112). 2 JANUARY 08 J!-ENT
Image from Shimatani Hitomi s CD single Dragonfly. Image courtesy of Avex Entertainment, Inc. Following the DVD release, Shimatani would release her first mini album titled Poinsettia (AVCD-17187, Rel. November 27, 2002) which would feature a collection of Winter songs. In 2003, Shimatani s music started to experiment with different musical genres from Spanish and Latin to music incorporating strings. Also, in 2003 would mark the first major acting role for Shimatani as she played the character of Imamura Keiko for the Fuji TV drama Boku Dake no Madonna which aired from July to September 2003. Shimatani would play the early love interest for TACKEY & TSUBASA artist Takizawa Hideaki s lead character Suzuki Kyoichi and would continue to pursue acting with 2006 TV Asahi drama Damenzu Walker and a play for Okage no Anne (Anne of Green Gables) in 2007. On Nov. 6, 2003, Shimatani would have her first anime theme song release with YUME Biori (AVCD-30517) as the ending theme for the popular series Doraemon. Shimatani would end the year with a release on Christmas 2003 with her very first best album titled Delicious! ~The Best of Hitomi Shimatani (AVCD-17368) would be released which would include her second CD single up to her 13th CD single. In 2005, Shimatani Hitomi would have her first video game theme song (opening and ending) with her 17th CD single Garnet Moon/Inori (AVCD-30637, Rel. Jan. 26, 2005) for the Sony PlayStation 2 game A.C.E. - Another Century s Episode. Shimatani would later have several theme songs such as her 19th CD single Falco for the anime series Ueki no Hosoku (AVCD-30764, Rel. Aug. 10, 2005) and her 22nd CD single Destiny -Taiyou no Hana-/ Koimizu -tears of love- (AVCD-30976/B, Rel. June 21, 2006) which was used as the opening theme for the anime series Black Jack 21. Since her debut in 1999, Shimatani has released 26 CD singles, one collaboration CD single, six albums and four special albums. Because of her diversity in different musical genres, Shimatani has amassed a large number of fans worldwide. In December 2007, J!-ENT s Dennis A. Amith (USA) and Hiroshi Tagawa ( Japan) recently had an opportunity to interview Shimatani regarding her music, her life and the release of her cover album Otoko Uta - cover song collection. J!-ENT: Before we get into discussions about music, let s get to know a little about Shimatani Hitomi. When you were younger, was it always your dream to become a singer? HITOMI: Yes. When I was a child, I ve always imagined that I would be singing on TV and singing in the future. J!-ENT: Were you aware that you have so many fans of your music worldwide and how do you feel about so many International fans listening to Japanese music? J!-ENT JANUARY 08 3
HITOMI: No, I didn t know I had fans listening to my music all over the world. I m very happy to know there are many people listening to my songs! I listen to a lot of foreign songs, so I would like people outside of Japan to listen to Japanese music. J!-ENT: Who did you listen to a lot when growing up (Japanese or International artists?) HITOMI: I was always listening to songs by Dreams Come True and Mr. Children. J!-ENT: Very cool! Now, if I were to look in your CD or MP3 player right now, which artist would you be listening to right now? HITOMI: I m currently listening to Christina Aguilera and Stevie Wonder. J!-ENT: Many fans in world are also aware of your acting skills from CM, Japanese dramas like Boku Dake no Madonna and have read about your participation in musicals such as Okage no Anne (Anne of Green Gables). Were you always interested in acting and how did you get involved with that? HITOMI: Both singing songs and acting can give people dreams and the feeling of emotion. So, it was a little hard for me to act. But many people on staff helped me a lot and I made effort to act more natural. J!-ENT: Let s go ahead and talk about your music. We will talk briefly about the earlier years to your recent release. I ve read on the Internet that when you first debuted, you were an enka singer. Is that true? And if so, how was that experience? HITOMI: Yes, that is true. It was born from just a TV project. I was listening to Enka when I was a child and enka is part of Japanese traditional songs. So, I enjoy the music very much. Now, I don t sing Enka songs anymore but I ve learned a lot of skills from following enka. J!-ENT: As you look back from the very first experience of releasing your CD single (Osaka no Onna) back in 1999 to the present time with the last release of Shinku/Ai no Uta, what has been the significant shining point in your musical career that you will always be grateful for (or will always remember)? HITOMI: For me, the most significant thing point in my career would be the release of Amairono Kami no Otome. J!-ENT: Do you feel that because your music embraces musical styles from different countries and different genres, it helps distinguish you from the many female solo lingers from Avex and makes your music very unique? HITOMI: Personally, for me, I don t want to stay within one musical category and I want to keep challenging myself and try to do Image from Shimatani Hitomi s CD single Neva Eva. Image courtesy of Avex Entertainment, Inc. several different things. J!-ENT: Because we have received so many questions from your fans all over the world, I want to give a few of them the opportunity to ask you a question in regards to your music. FAN QUESTION: (From Kevin Valencia, Spain) - What do you do to help prepare yourself when writing music lyrics? Do you sit down and wait for inspiration to come? HITOMI: Usually, I just write what I see and feel in daily life. FAN QUESTION: (From Sarah Bentonville, Arkansas USA) Out of all your songs, is there one song that has a special meaning for you and why? HITOMI: Amairono Kami no Otome. The reason is that everyone knows me through this song and it helped me appear on NHK s annual year-end New Year s Eve music festival called Kouhaku Utagassen. FAN QUESTION: (From Sachiko California USA) Your beautiful music has such a large range of experimental styles such as pop, Latin, techno/dance and classical (I enjoy Crossover, which I love very much). But I wondered is it your choice for the shifts in music style? Also, do you have a favorite style of music? HITOMI: Spanish to me is very passionate, so I like it very much. It s very hard for me to sing a full song in Spanish but I definitely want to try it. FAN QUESTION: (from Luis- Buenos Aires, Argentina) Your music has a strong Latin influence (for example: Splash, Angelus, Pasio, El Dorado ). Would you ever consider singing a song entirely in Spanish? HITOMI: I definitely want to try to sing in Spanish because it s something that I ve never done before. FAN QUESTION: (from Jose Mari, Sevilla, Spain) In our music style in Spain, we can see influences from other cultures. I was wondering by experimenting with different musical styles in Japan, will you continue experimenting with other different styles of music? HITOMI: Definitely. Now, I m very much interested in Jazz music. FAN QUESTION: (from Stephanie, Australia) You have such a big fanbase outside of Japan. Being from Australia, would you consider performing outside of Japan and any chance of your music being released outside of Japan? HITOMI: Yes, I would like to go to many countries and would like many people to listen to my songs and to see my performance on stage. I hope it will come true in the near future. FAN QUESTION: (from Zach, Illinois USA) When you debuted as an enka artist, did you enjoy recording Osaka no Onna and would you ever go back and re-record that song in a different musical style? HITOMI: I was not so good at enka so I practiced many times before the recording of Osaka no Onna. But I was very happy for my music debut, so practicing many times was not too bad for me. Also, like you mentioned, some day I want to make different styles of Osaka no Onna. That would be fun! FAN QUESTION: (from Michael from On- 4 JANUARY 08 J!-ENT
Personally, for me, I don t want to stay within one musical category and I want to be challenge myself and try to do several different things. - Shimatani Hitomi
any hobbies? HITOMI: I love talking and spending time with my friends. So, I enjoy talking with them at a café for several hours. J!-ENT: Curious... Have you ever sung your own songs at a karaoke and do you ever get a perfect score? HITOMI: My friends often ask me to sing my songs during karaoke. My best score singing my song at karaoke is an 82. J!-ENT: You re a very fashionable person. Are there certain designers that you enjoy their clothing line and also for shopping, which cities in Japan or around the world that you love shopping at? HITOMI: I don t stick with any particular brand, but I often go shopping in Harajuku and Omotesando. Image from Shimatani Hitomi s best album Delicious! - The Best of Hitomi Shimatani. Image courtesy of Avex Entertainment, Inc. tario Canada) If there is one place that you would like to travel and visit? HITOMI: I want to go to Spain and learn the passionate music over there. J!-ENT: Thank you to the Shimatani fans for sending us your questions. Now, getting back to questions in regards to your music, I would love to talk about your recent work. First, I want to ask you about Destiny-Taiyou no Hana-. From the arrangement to the overall balance of the song musically and vocally, how do you feel about your music when it incorporates that symphonic feel to it? HITOMI: For Destiny - Taiyou no Hana-, I like the sound of strings very much. It was so beautiful. It fills up my heart when I hear the music. J!-ENT: One thing that I enjoy about your music is that with each CD single, it s always a surprise and you never know what to expect. With Destiny it was more symphony-based, with Pasio, it was a Spanish style of music, Dragonfly was a rock song and Neva Eva featured a lot of brass horns/ska like feel. But I m curious. Do you get hassled by a lot of fans who wish your musical style didn t change so much? HITOMI: I like to try and experiment with new genres of music but on the other hand sometimes I go back to an original style. I always listen to my fans voices carefully. J!-ENT: Earlier in the year, you released your sixth album PRIMA ROSA. How was the experience of working on this album compared to working on your fifth album Heart & Symphony (2005)? HITOMI: I ve never released albums in the Spring before. So, because of that, I tried to make PRIMA ROSA happy and bright. I took care of my throat since making an album is very long work. There are many bright songs on PRIMA ROSA, so I enjoyed recording it very much. J!-ENT: On December 5th (2007) you released Otoko Uta ~Cover Song Collection in which you sing cover songs from bands such as Original Love, Fujii Fumiya, Off Course, Begin and more. Was it difficult to plan out the songs that you wanted for this album? HITOMI: It was very difficult work to choose songs from many requested lists that the staff and my friends have made. Every songs they have selected were so great. Then, I sang all songs in karaoke and chose the songs that suited me the best. J!-ENT: Let s move on to live performances. If there was one live performance that you treasure the most, what performance would that be and why? HITOMI: That would have to be PRIMA ROSA in June of 2007 which took place in Tokyo and Osaka. I always feel nervous during a liver performance but I didn t feel nervous during these performances and I enjoyed the live performance a lot for PRIMA ROSA. So, that s the reason why I treasure that performance the most. J!-ENT: Let s go ahead and talk about things outside of music. Whenever you are not busy working, what do you like to do in your free time? And do you have J!-ENT: If you have one word to describe yourself, what word would that be and why? HITOMI: Challenger. The reason is because I don t want to satisfy myself just for the present, I want to keep challenging myself. J!-ENT: In every J!-ENT interview, we do a word play where we ask you five words and you give us your definition of those words. The first word is: a. LOVE HITOMI: The origin of everything b. SUCCESS HITOMI: The result of effort. c. SEX HITOMI: No comment. d. SADNESS HITOMI: No comment. e. BEAUTY HITOMI: Fun. 27. What final words do you have for your fans around the world? HITOMI: Thank you very much for listening to my songs. I will continue to keep working to make better music. I wish for one day that I can sing in front of you. Thank you very much! DENNIS A. AMITH is the founder/owner of J!-ENT and is an entertainment-writer-at-large. HIROSHI TAGAWA is J!-ENT Chief of Operations in Japan For more information on Shimatani Hitomi, please visit her official website at: www.avexnet.or.jp/shimatani 6 JANUARY 08 J!-ENT
I like to try and experiment with new genres of music but on the other hand sometimes I go back to an original style. I always listen to my fans voices carefully. - Shimatani Hitomi
J!-ENT worldgroove Shimatani Hitomi Destiny - Taiyou no Hana -/Koimizu -tears of loveavex trax AVCD-30976/B (CD+DVD) DURATION: 20:24 RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2006 A J!-ENT MUSIC REVIEW 1. Destiny -taiyou no Hana- 2. Koimizu -tears of love- 3. Destiny -taiyou no Hana- (Black Jack 21 Mix) 3. Destiny -taiyou no Hana- (Instrumental) 4. Koimizu -tears of love- (Instrumental) DVD: Region 2, 4:3, Duration: 9 minutes 1. Destiny -taiyou no Hana- (MUSIC CLIP) 2. Koimizu - tears of love- (MUSIC CLIP) Wow! That was my feeling after listening to the 22nd CD single by Shimatani Hitomi. The latest CD single features Destiny - Taiyou no Hana-, a song used for the opening theme for the anime series Black Jack 21. But the music has to be one of the most powerful songs coming from Shimatani as Destiny - Taiyou no Hana- captures a feeling of emotion with the use of strings and an orchestral feel with a balance of pop music but so unlike Shimatani s previous releases. The Black Jack 21 Mix is merely a shortened version of Destiny at 2:05. The other A-side track Koimizu - tears of love- was used as an ending theme for a TV Tokyo mystery program but there is nothing mysterious about it. In fact, I use the words elegant and beautiful to describe this beautiful ballad. Like Destiny, Koimizu utilizes a string quartet, so where one song makes you feel a sense of action, Koimizu is just beautiful. The accompanying DVD is very cool as the DVD features the music videos for both tracks and a director and artist commentary. Destiny - Taiyou no Hana- features Shimatani walking through a lush forest with dancers and people playing the violin in the background. Very enchanting! Koimizu -tears of love- features Shimatani singing the song with a close-up on her but during the second verse, stops singing and showing a tearful Shimatani as the song plays on. Very touching! I enjoyed many songs and CD singles from Shimatani Hitomi but Destiny - Taiyou no Hana /Koimizu -tears of love is probably my favorite release thus far. Highly recommended! DENNIS A. AMITH < Absolutely Enchanting! Shimatani s 22nd double A-sided CD single is enchanting and elegant and one of her best releases. A TOUCH OF SPANISH FOR SHIMATANI Shimatani Hitomi PASIO avex trax CATALOG #: AVCD-31123/B Rel. Nov. 15, 2006 / Duration: 19:15 Shimatani Hitomi s 23rd CD single PASIO features the diverse artist exploring Spanish music and again showing the listener to expect the unexpected with each CD single release. With PASIO, Shimatani returns with a song that combines pop music but a Spanish style of rhythm. The song is used as a theme for NTV s Entame Sports. So, with PASIO on one musical spectrum, the coupling song True Blue is on the other by featuring a more acoustic, mid-tempo ballad. The song is used for the anime series Ueki no Hosoku. As for the DVD, featured is the music clip for PASIO featuring Shimatani and a magician and my favorite segment being the Special Live crossoverii performance of Destiny ~taiyou no Hana~. I highly recommend getting the DVD version for this because you will not see her perform this song on her latest PRIMA ROSA 2007 live DVD. I have embraced Shimatani s experimentation of different genres and learned not to get fixated with a certain style because the next would more than likely be different. So, all in all, I enjoyed the PASIO CD single and if you embraced her utilization of different musical genres for her releases, you ll probably dig it as well. Check it out! 8 J!-ENT
J!-ENT worldgroove A J!-ENT MUSIC REVIEW Shimatani Hitomi Dragonfly Avex Trax AVCD-31135/B (CD+DVD) AVCD-31136 (CD only) DURATION: 16:28 RELEASE DATE: February 21, 2007 01. Dragonfly 02. Bye-Bye 03. Dragonfly (instrumental) 04. Bye-Bye (instrumental) DVD: Duration: 8 minutes, 4:3, Region 2 01. Dragonfly - Single Version Music Clip 02. Dragonfly - Music Clip Making - Shimatani has always been an interesting singer to follow. Unlike many of the other female divas from Avex, there is always a consistency I find. May it be BoA, Amuro Namie, Hamasaki Ayumi, Suzuki Ami, always some sort of consistency. The same can t be said about Shimatani Hitomi. Not only is she beautiful but she can do it all. May it be an R&B song, a rock song, a latin song and even enka (which is the music she originally began singing when she debuted). But at the same time, some listeners can often be impatient and for Shimatani fans, many have been attracted to her music that either has a dance, symphony or latin-style to it. It s a formula that has worked tremendously well with songs like DESTINY ~Taiyou no Hana~, Mermaid, Garnet Moon, Falco, etc. For her 24th CD single, Shimatani Hitomi is back with Dragonfly which is more rock influenced. For me, I have accepted Shimatani s music and accepted that there will be no consistency, something a bit different and I don t mind that at all. Some will but I don t. It s what makes me appreciate her as an artist, because she stands out among other female artists is her ability to do challenge herself musically with different genres. And she makes it hapen. Interesting enough, the coupling song Bye- Bye is very different and more R&B-based and reminiscent of the style of a former avex trax artist Amagata Naomi. The music video retains Hitomi s sexiness and features the artist performing with a band and dancing. The making of shows the making of the music video. All in all, it s something different and if you are willing to accept her music and the change of styles that she experiments with, then go for it. Otherwise, if you are expecting another DESTINY ~Taiyou no Hana~, then this CD single may not be for you. Make sure you check out Hitomi s new album (her 6th) titled PRIMA ROSA which will be released on March 7th. For more information on Shimatani Hitomi, please visit her website at: www.avexnet.or.jp/shimatani DENNIS A. AMITH < And yet again...something a bit different. Shimatani Hitomi goes rock with her 24th CD single Dragonfly NEVA EVA THOUGHT ABOUT A LITTLE SKA FOR SHIMATANI Shimatani Hitomi Neva Eva avex trax CATALOG #: AVCD-31234 Rel. June 6, 2007 / Duration: 14:15 So, let s see...for the 22nd CD single we get the strings, the 23rd CD single we get Spanish, the 24th CD single, we get rock and now for Shimatani Hitomi s 25th CD single we get the horn section and a ska-like song with Neva Eva. The first time I heard this CD single was seeing the music video for it which featured an OL Shimatani Hitomi working in an office setting and it was totally hot! The CD single definitely has that energy and makes it one enjoyable track and full of energy. Which is good, since the song is used as the image song for NTV s Wrestling 2007. The coupling track titled Hakuchuumu features Shimatani returning to Latin style and also another fun, energetic track. All in all, another track that surprised me from Shimatani and definitely enjoying the fact that I don t know what kind of musical genre that her CD single will be experimenting next. J!-ENT 9
J!-ENT worldgroove Shimatani Hitomi Shinku/Ai no Uta avex trax AVCD-31285/B (CD+DVD) DURATION: 24:01 RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2007 A J!-ENT MUSIC REVIEW 1. Shinku 2. Ai no Uta 3. Shinku [A.C.E. 3 version] 3. Shinku (Instrumental) 4. Ai no Uta (Instrumental) DVD: Region 2, 4:3, Duration: 10:09 minutes 1. Shinku (PROMOTION VIDEO) 2. MAKING Shimatani s 26th CD single marks the return of Shimatani Hitomi to her original pop roots but also returning for two theme songs for the Sony PS2 game A.C.E. 3 (Another Century s Episode 3). For those not familiar with Shimatani s music, she s not your typical pop star nor should she be compared to other female pop stars from the avex trax label. For one, each CD single release features Shimatani challenging herself with musical genres which include influences from Spanish, Latin, orchestral, rock music and much more. For this double A-sided CD single, Shinku features a dance pop style of sound. A second version titled A.C.E.3 version is included which is a shorter version but features an orchestral introduction. For the second A-track Ai no Uta, the song features a beautiful sole piano-based ballad which is sung elegantly and played beautifully. The accompanying DVD features the promotional video for Shinku which features a somewhat post-apocalyptic intro but then features Shimatani singing in a lush, misty forest area and inside what seems to be a church that is rundown. The DVD also features a five minute making of and you pretty much learn that the forest area that Shimatani and staff is filming at is actually freezing despite it being shot in July. Also, the DVD features an interview with the director of the promotional video. Shimatani s versatility of taking on a variety of musical genres is a positive for those who embrace it, because it makes her a unique pop star because literally, each CD single release sounds differently. For those who cling to the artists dance music from her earlier career, they be happy to know that Shinku is a return to those original roots. But all in all, the CD single features a good balance of J-Pop and a beautiful ballad and is worthy of recommendation. DENNIS A. AMITH 10 J!-ENT < Shimatani returns to her pop roots Shimatani s 26th double A-sided single features the theme to the PS2 game A.C.E. 3 SHIMATANI S FIRST BEST ALBUM Shimatani Hitomi Delicious! - The Best of Hitomi Shimatani avex trax CATALOG #: AVCD-17455 Rel. Mar. 17, 2004 / Duration: 1:07:05 For those who are finding difficulty in obtaining the earlier works of Shimatani Hitomi, I highly recommend her first best album titled Delicious! - The Best of Hitomi Shimatani. The best album features Shimatani s second CD single (the first CD single which features Shimatani singing enka is very difficult to find) Kaihoku from Sept. 2000 through up to her 13th CD single YUME Byori which was released in November 2003. Also, included in this best album are songs that were coupling tracks plus a track from her Winter mini album Poinsettia. From listening to the album, you get to see the beginning of how Shimatani s music started out more pop-based and then once she reached late 2002, her music would then start to incorporate other genres of musical genres. The accompanying DVD features a 13-minute DVD that includes the music videos for papillon, Shanty and the music video for her popular hit Amairo no Kami no Otome. All in all, this is a solid best album for Shimatani s earlier works and it definitely makes it much easier to purchase this album versus searching for the CD singles of her earlier works. Highly recommended!
J!-ENT worldgroove A J!-ENT MUSIC REVIEW Shimatani Hitomi PRIMA ROSA Avex Trax AVCD-23176/B (CD+DVD), AVCD-23177 (CD) Website: www.avexnet.or.jp/shimatani RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2007 Dur: 49:03 1. Ramblin 2. Kimi no Koe 3. Hareta hi wa 4. Dragonfly 5. Psychedelic Future 6. Camellia (PRIMA ROSA version) 7. Destiny -taiyou no hana- 8. Prague no Onna 9. Koizumi -tears of love- 10. PASIO 11. El Dorado 12. Haru machibito 13. Brand new Dream DVD: 54 minutes, 4:3, Region 2 1. Haru machibito 2. Camellia 3. Destiny -taiyou no hana- 4. Koizumi -tears of love- 5. PASIO 6. Dragonfly (PRIMA ROSA Version Music Clip) 7. Ramblin 8. Hareta Nichi wa (Offshot Movie) Bonus Contents from LIVE DVD Special Live crossover II 1. Sarasoujou 2. Destiny -taiyou no hana- 3. Camellia Shimatani Hitomi returns with her sixth fulllength album PRIMA ROSA. Her latest album would feature seven songs that were used with TV tie-ins and also feature her 21st CD single Haru machibito/camellia (released on Mar. 15, 2006) up to her 24th CD single Dragonfly (released on Feb. 21, 2007). Where her fifth album Heart & Symphony would be a fan favorite for its use of classical and orchestral music fused with pop music, PRIMA ROSA would continue Shimatani s experimentation of different genres of music. By saying that, let it be known that Shimatani is a music artist that is very much differentiated from other female pop singers because nearly every CD single released in the last four years have musically been different. Whereas with most female music artists, you somewhat expect consistency with their music. Shimatani breaks the Japanese female solo artist paradigm with each CD single release that you get something different. PRIMA ROSA For example, the first three songs on the album Ramblin, Kimi no Koe and Hareta nichi wa is very pop and similar to her older style of music. When you get to Dragonfly (her 24th CD single, used as ending theme for TBS show Aichiteru ), the song is rock-based. Go on to the next track Psychedelic Future, you then get a pop song that is dominated by brass horns. Then you get to Camellia, Destiny -taiyou no hana- (opening theme song for NTV < PRIMA ROSA is sophisticated and vibrant Shimatani Hitomi s sixth full-length album showcases her finest work of her music career. anime Black Jack 21 ), Prague no Onna and Koizumi -tears of love-, you get the orchestral, symphonic style of music. When it comes to Shimatani s vocals, this style of music matches perfectly. Shimatani is also known for dabbling in music that is influenced by Spanish or Latin music such as her 16th CD single ANGELUS (rel. Aug. 11, 2004). Shimatani brought back the Spanish style of music with her 23rd CD single PASIO (a song used as theme song for NTV s NNN News Real Time and NTV s Good Looking Love ) and the equally catchy El Dorado. Going back to her vocals, Shimatani has always displayed a sophisticated, vibrant and refreshing vocal style that truly becomes habit forming each time I listen to her music. Looking through the album s booklet, it appears that Shimatani also has written several of the songs such as Hareta nichi wa, Koizumi -tears of love and Brand new Dream. As for the album, it s also important to point out that PRIMA ROSA CD version also has a few extras that the CD+DVD version does not have. The CD version of PRIMA ROSA features the bonus track Futari de iijyanai (ESCL-2926), a song that she did a duet with popular crooner Suzuki Masayuki. Also, the CD version includes a CD EXTRA featuring her live performance of Somewhere and Kokoro from her live at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space with Soga Daisuke of Tokyo New City Orchestra. As for the CD+DVD version, on the DVD you get seven promotional videos, an off shot video and three live concert clips. So, for everything that you get for the CD+DVD version, definitely the version I recommend on purchasing. As far as the whole album is concerned, PRIMA ROSA is an album that I enjoyed and listened to several times non-stop. I understand that for some Shimatani fans, the continuing differences in her music can be disappointing especially if they prefer a certain style of music over the other. For me, I have embraced Shimatani s music and I find Shimatani Hitomi s music like a breath of fresh air because her music is so different from other solo music artists. If you have an open mind when it comes to music, PRIMA ROSA would definitely be a great addition to your music collection. - DENNIS A. AMITH
J!-ENT worldgroove A J!-ENT MUSIC REVIEW Shimatani Hitomi Otoko Uta ~cover song collection~ Avex Trax AVCD--23399/B Website: www.avexnet.or.jp/shimatani RELEASE DATE: December 5, 2007 Dur: 55:18 01. Kanashimi ni Sayonara (Anzen Chitai) 02. Koishikute (Begin) 03. Rainy Blue (Tokunaga Hideaki) 04. ESCAPE (Moon Child) 05. CANDY (Harada Shinji) 06. Tsuki no Urade Ai Mashou ~Let s Go To The Darkside Of The Moon (Original Love) 07. Another Orion (Fujii Fumiya) 08. Hatsukoi (Kouzou Murashita) 09. One More Time, One More Chance (Masayoshi Yamazaki) 10. Shiawase na Ketsumatsu (Eiichi Ohtaki) 11. Kotoba ni Dekinai (Oda Kazumasa) 12. Kanade (Sukima Switch) DVD: 50 minutes, 16:9, Region 2 1. Another Orion 2. Tsuki no Urade Ai Mashou ~Let s Go To The Darkside Of The Moon 3. Shiawase na Ketsumatsu 4. Kotoba ni Dekinai 5. ESCAPE 6. CANDY 7. Koishikute 8. Amairo no Kami no Otome 9. One More Time, One More Chance 10. Rainy Blue 11. Kanashimi ni Sayonara 12. Hatsukoi 13. Kanade You know that you start to feel old when artists you enjoyed immensely start to receive the cover treatment. But fortunately, in this case, the cover songs featured on Otoko Uta - Cover Song collection~, the latest album from Shimatani Hitomi turns out to be a beautiful and whimsical nostalgic road but also beautiful renditions from the singer. The album is pretty much a cover of popular music (a lot of ballads) that spans from the 1960 s up to 2004 and features a beautiful, whimsical, melodic version spin on songs by a male artist or band and given a beautiful spin to it that Shimatani Hitomi does so well. For those familiar with Shimatani Hitomi s music, in the past couple of years, we have gotten a little bit of everything from her. Latin, Spanish, rock, symphonic, orchestral a variety of different styles that she has incorporated into her music but for Otoko Uta, Shimatani manages to take popular ballads and makes it her own and successfully pulls it off. In a way, some may look at this cover album almost as similar to Natalie Cole s cover album by incorporating a whimsical, orchestral balance that made her Unforgettable album, a big hit. This album obviously is not just targeting towards the younger demographic, this is going for the individuals who loved these hits in the 80 s and 90 s and not redoing the songs in a similar manner, but to give it almost a livehouse, whimsical and at times orchestral balance and < A cover album that is definitely nostalgic Shimatani Hitomi s covers popular hits from the 60 s to the present in her first cover album. that is what is the true strength of Otoko Uta and her cover versions. But what caught my attention was the choices of music that was selected for this album. The songs featured are chart topping ballads. The first track is Shimatani s cover of Anzen Chitai s Kanashimi ni Sayounara is a blast from the past, especially for those in the US, who remember the anime Maison Ikkoku was a major hit in the 80 s. A very livehouse style of feel with the acoustic guitar and soprano sax. The second track Koishikute is a cover from the band BEGIN. I can remember hearing this song over and over in the early 90 s, as the band would play this song at a beach and just thinking of how awesome a ballad the song is. And Shimatani manages to do the song justice with her beautiful vocals and I absolutely love the arrangement. Love how the wood bass, strings and everything just balances together with the main music. The third track Rainy Blue was a big hit in the 80 s by Tokunaga Hideaki. Tokunaga is having a bit of a revival with his VOCALIST albums which have been chart topping albums in the past two or three months now and Tokunaga alone has been a major crooner in the 80 s and 90 s and great to see a cover by Shimatani on this album. The song utilizes the acoustic guitar, violin, keyboard and other instruments. The seventh track Another Orion is one of my favorite ballads (among the many) from Fujii Fumiya which came out back in 1996. Shimatani s version incorporates a harp instead of an acoustic guitar, oboe and strings. I love the orchestral style of it. Very beautiful cover! Many of the CD singles are very well done on this cover album (a more in-depth review of the songs on this album can be found online at J!- ENT s World Groove). The CD only version comes with a thirteenth track titled Amairo no Kami no Otome originally from the Village Singers from 1966 and was released as a CD single back in 2002 by Shimatani. The song is not included on the CD+DVD version but can be found as a performance on the DVD. As for the DVD, the 50-minute DVD features Shimatani and her band performing the songs in the studio. Various cameras located around the studio focusing on Shimatani and various musicians performing the songs on the album in their entirety. About three short off shots are featured throughout the performance with Shimatani talking during the break between performances. The final minutes on the DVD features a brief interview with Shimatani after the recording is complete. Some cover albums in my opinion tend to include obscure songs that Japanese listeners have no idea who the originals are from. With Shimatani Hitomi s Otoko Uta ~Cover Song Collection~, nearly every song featured is a classic or chart topping hit. Highly recommended! - DENNIS A. AMITH
HITOMI SHIMATANI - LIVE 2007 -PRIMA ROSA- J! DVD REVIEW HITOMI SHIMATANI - LIVE 2007 - PRIMA ROSA Shimatani Hitomi avex trax AVBD-91489 1-Disc DVD, region 2 Release date: Sepember 12, 2007 DVD INFORMATION: Region 2, 4:3, Duration: 112 minutes, two audio: 1. LPCM/Stereo 2. Dolby Digital 5.1 1. Introduction - Kaihoku 2. Dragonfly 3. Domenica 4. Ramblin 5. Kimi no Koe 6. Bye-Bye 7. C est la vie! 8. Ichiba ni Ikkou (Melancholic Version) 9. Koimizu-tears of love- 10. Itsu no Hi ni Ka 11. ANGELUS-intro~Garnet Moon~Falco~Angelus Medley 12. PASIO-~El Dorado 13. Perseus 14. Taiyoushin 15. Camellia (Original Version) 16. Neva Eva 17. Amairo no Kami no Otome 18. Psychedelic*Future 19. Brand new Dream BONUS CONTENTS: Document of Hitomi Shimatani Live 2007 - PRIMA ROSA- Visit Shimatani Hitomi s Official Website at: http://www.avexnet.or.jp/shimatani Energetic. Vibrant. Beautiful. Among the words I can describe Shimatani Hitomi in her latest concert DVD titled LIVE 2007 - PRIMA ROSA. Shimatani Hitomi s latest concert was filmed at the Tokyo Livehall Stellarball back in June and features a live band and a supportive crowd. Previous concerts that I have watched Shimatani, typically the songs featured were ballads or faster dance tracks, so I was a bit curious to see how a full Shimatani Hitomi concert would be. What you get is a very energetic concert with Shimatani really getting into the groove, dancing during the faster songs and looking elegant during the ballads. In this concert, Shimatani performs many of the songs from her latest album PRIMA ROSA album which include CD singles such as PASIO, Dragonfly and Neva Eva. As well as beautiful ballads such as Koimizu ~tears of love~ and classics such as Garnet Moon, Falco and ANGELUS ala medley. In the early performance of the concert, Shimatani comes out with a black leather jacket, a dress that is not as ballerina-froofy-esque ala Jodie Watley and black boots. Her performance of Dragonfly was pretty much spot on and with the band performing and rocking out with her on stage, early on I was wondering how songs such as those that utilized an orchestra or symphony would be performed and I realized that a lot of my favorites were not being performed possibly because the stage was smaller to accommodate live rock band, background singers, dancers and Hitomi herself. So, the live band worked well with songs such as Dragonfly, Ramblin, Bye-Bye and C est la vie!. When it got to the medley featuring her classics such as ANGELUS, Garnet Moon and Falco, Shimatani came out with two background dancers and that is when her fans became more vocal and shouting as if you were watching an idol singer perform. During this performance, Shimatani was energetic and vibrant as halfway through the concert, we get a glimpse of classic Shimatani as she dances and definitely feeding off the energy from the audience. Songs that utilized the Latin or Spanish style definitely worked well in this concert as Shimatani wagged her hips and got into motion with songs such as PASIO and El Dorado. As for crowd participation, the crowd was definitely supportive especially during the medley of ANGELUS and Garnet Moon as the diehard fans started to scream during segments of a song. Probably the most interaction was during the performance of Camelia as Shimatani, the band and the audience started twirling and waving their towels. I don t think I ve seen this much towel waving in an event that s not sports related, so that was interesting to see. Especially as the camera starts to focus on the audience as they spin their towels over their head. Camera angles used in the filming of the concert were well done as we get an angle of Shimatani closeup, faraway, sideways and angles behind the audience and looking towards the front of the audience. Also, various cameras on various band members and her background singers. As for the editing of the camera angles, I noticed a five second setting per angle before a switch. Edited well and not dizzying. As for the stage, the stage setup is elegant with the live band behind her, the background singers on the viewer s left side and mobility for Shimatani and her dancers to dance. Background setup was a blue drape and lighting was very well done. As for the encore songs, for Neva Eva, Shimatani and her background dancers came out with their eyeglasses and business outfit (while Shimatani donned a white and black checkerboard outfit) and performed the final four songs. As for the special feature, the 15-minute document of Hitomi Shimatani Live 2007 - Prima Rosa- feature Shimatani and her background dancers learning the choreography for her songs, Shimatani and the band gettings things prepared for the concert and many scenes of Shimatani singing in front of her band with no music and overall rehearsals in the studio and then at the Stellarball. Also included are footage before the concert, during the concert, what went on behindthe-scenes before the encore and also to see the fans waiting in line and coming into the concert area. The document ends with a personal message from Shimatani talking about the behind-the-scenes footage and more. As for the DVD insert, the booklet contains photos from the concert, concert credits and tracklisting. All in all, I enjoyed this concert DVD. Because of the concert arena, audience participation and the fact that it was more of a live house feeling, you feel the energy of the concert and you see Shimatani really feed off that energy. It may not have the orchestral/symphonic songs that I enjoy but I happen to enjoy her recent CD singles and to see them performed with this band but Shimatani was indeed vibrant, energetic and sexy. The overall DVD was fun to watch and I really like the addition of the bonus content showing Shimatani and band and dancers, behind-the-scenes. Definitely a different perspective compared to someone like Hamasaki Ayumi and what you would see on her DVD. So, overall, compared to previous DVD s that I have watched and concert performances from various other events from her CD+DVD, LIVE 2007-PRIMA ROSA was the most enjoyable. A DVD featuring a good balance of her older hits and her new. A very cool DVD that Shimatani fans will definitely enjoy! DENNIS A. AMITH J!-ENT JANUARY 08 12
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IMAGE COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN DON T STOP A.I. LIVE IN LA! 2008.1.31 THU EL REY THEATRE ALL AGES 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-936-6400 VISIT www. waentc.com for more information Purchase your tickets today at Ticketmaster.com