Hirahara Ayaka
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese pop singer
affiliated with the Dreamusic label.
Hirahara comes from a musical family; her father, Makoto Hirahara, is a saxophone player, her grandfather, Tsutomu Hirahara, was a trumpet player, and her older sister, Aika Hirahara, also is a singer under the EMI Music Japan label. Ayaka was a member of the Matsuyama Ballet for 11 years, beginning at age 6. She started playing saxophone when she was 13 years old, then learned classical saxophone at Senzoku Gakuen High School. Currently, she is studying in the Faculty of Jazz majoring in saxophone at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music. Her first single, "Jupiter", was released in Japan in December 2003, and went on to be one of the biggest selling singles of 2004. The melody of the song is based on the "Jupiter" movement in The Planets Suite by Gustav Holst
. Similarly, the melody of her song, "Siciliana", is based on "Siciliano" by Johann Sebastian Bach
.
's 2006 title, Ōkami
, as the ending song. A orchestral version, "Reset - Thank You Version", also was made by Hiroshi Yamaguchi.
Also appearing in the anime Saiunkoku Monogatari
was Hirahara's song, "Hajimari No Kaze" (also from 4tsu no L). The song was used as the show's opening theme song for the two seasons that were aired.
Her version of the song "Tsubasa wo Kudasai" appeared in episode 5 of the drama Orthros no Inu sung under the stage name Ray.
"Sailing My Life" (featuring label mate Norimasa Fujisawa), from the album "my Classics 2", is the official OST for the Japan release of the Disneynature
film Oceans.
The song by Joe Hisaishi
from the Studio Ghibli
film Spirited Away
was performed by Hirahara.
Pop Singer
"Pop Singer" is the début single from London-based glam rockers Rachel Stamp. It was released in February, 1996 through WEA. The single was released as a 2 track CD Single and limited edition pink 7" vinyl of 1000 copies...
affiliated with the Dreamusic label.
Hirahara comes from a musical family; her father, Makoto Hirahara, is a saxophone player, her grandfather, Tsutomu Hirahara, was a trumpet player, and her older sister, Aika Hirahara, also is a singer under the EMI Music Japan label. Ayaka was a member of the Matsuyama Ballet for 11 years, beginning at age 6. She started playing saxophone when she was 13 years old, then learned classical saxophone at Senzoku Gakuen High School. Currently, she is studying in the Faculty of Jazz majoring in saxophone at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music. Her first single, "Jupiter", was released in Japan in December 2003, and went on to be one of the biggest selling singles of 2004. The melody of the song is based on the "Jupiter" movement in The Planets Suite by Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
. Similarly, the melody of her song, "Siciliana", is based on "Siciliano" by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
.
Studio albums
- 2004: Odyssey
- 2004: The Voice
- 2005: From To
- 2006: Yottsu no L
- 2007: Sora
- 2008: Path of Independence
- 2009: My Classics!
- 2010: My Classics 2
- 2011: My Classics 3
Theme songs
Hirahara's song Reset, from the album 4tsu no L was used in CapcomCapcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's 2006 title, Ōkami
Okami
is an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for Sony's PlayStation 2 video game console in 2006 in Japan and North America, and 2007 in Europe and Australia...
, as the ending song. A orchestral version, "Reset - Thank You Version", also was made by Hiroshi Yamaguchi.
Also appearing in the anime Saiunkoku Monogatari
Saiunkoku Monogatari
is a series of Japanese light novels written by Sai Yukino and illustrated by Kairi Yura. As of July 2011, the eighteenth and final volume was released, concluding the series...
was Hirahara's song, "Hajimari No Kaze" (also from 4tsu no L). The song was used as the show's opening theme song for the two seasons that were aired.
Her version of the song "Tsubasa wo Kudasai" appeared in episode 5 of the drama Orthros no Inu sung under the stage name Ray.
"Sailing My Life" (featuring label mate Norimasa Fujisawa), from the album "my Classics 2", is the official OST for the Japan release of the Disneynature
Disneynature
Disneynature is an independent film label of The Walt Disney Company, founded on April 21, 2008 as a division of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group...
film Oceans.
The song by Joe Hisaishi
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a composer and director known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981.While possessing a stylistically distinct sound, Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic,...
from the Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation and film studio founded in June 1985. The company's logo features the character Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro...
film Spirited Away
Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood and after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba,...
was performed by Hirahara.