Kanon Wakeshima
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese singer and cellist. Produced by Mana
, Wakeshima debuted under the DefStar Records
label on May 28, 2008 with the single "Still Doll", the ending theme for the anime adaptation of the manga series Vampire Knight
. She also provided the voice for a maid that appears in the eighth episode of the series. Wakeshima's second single "Suna no Oshiro", released on November 12, 2008, was used as the ending theme for the series' second season (subtitled Guilty).
She was nominated for a Best Newcomer award for 2008 in the fourth annual Shojo Beat Music Awards, nominees of which are determined by surveying "record companies, music journalists, music experts, and music fans".
, marking her entry into the world of music. In junior high school she formed her own ensemble group. At the age of fifteen, she transitioned from her former classical ensembles into playing in the baroque
section. Appearing in a variety of recitals and concerts throughout her school years, she began writing her own music and combining singing with her cello playing at the age of sixteen. As she transitioned from junior high school to high school, she began writing her own music and singing. She gave her first vocal performances during a high school festival.
Wakeshima auditioned at Sony Music Entertainment
as a singer, originally not intending to include her cello playing with her demo tape
, but later changing her mind after experimenting with performing with the piano. She became a finalist at the audition, contracting with the Sony subsidiary DefStar Records
and debuting on May 28, 2008 with her first single, "Still Doll". The single was chosen as the ending theme for the first season of the anime adaptation of Vampire Knight
.
She uses cellos, one for performing, one for music videos and one for recording. Wakeshima has given each cello a name. The white cello is known as "Mikazuki-san", which means "crescent moon". This is the cello she is normally seen performing on during live performances. The red cello is known as "Nanachie-san", which means "wisdom". This is the cello commonly seen in her music videos. According to Wakeshima, Nanachie-san is very hard to play but she manages. Her third cello is a brown cello called "Yaeharu-san", which means "multi-layered spring". Yaeharu-san is very special to Wakeshima since she has had it since middle school, and it is the one she practices on and records with. Currently, she has a new silver cello named "Momotose."
She has recently formed a group with An Cafe
's bassist Kanon, called KanonxKanon. The group sang the second theme song for the anime adaptation of Shiki, called "Calendula Requiem".
KanonxKanon recently made a song "Koi no Doutei" in their newest single, which was later made the OP (opening song) for the new anime "30-sai no Hoken Taiiku" that came out the spring of 2011.
2011, an anime convention in Anaheim, where she had both, a solo and a KanonXKanon concert. Following AM2 Kanon also appeared at Hyper Japan 2011 in London in July and in Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong 2011.
Kanon is also scheduled to perform in various cities in Europe at the end of 2011 as Kanon x Kanon
The Europe Tour venues and dates are as follows:
04.11.11 Moscow Concert Hall- Moscow / Russia
05.11.11 Zal Ozhidania Club - St.Petersburg / Russia
07.11.11 Tavastia - Helsinki / Finland
09.11.11 Club 202 - Budapest / Hungary
11.11.11 Columbia Club - Berlin / Germany
12.11.11 Zeche - Bochum / Germany
14.11.11 De Helling - Utrecht / Netherlands
15.11.11 Le Marche Gare - Lyon / France
16.11.11 Divan du Monde - Paris / France
18.11.11 O2 Academy Islington - London / GB
Mana (musician)
Mana is a Japanese musician and fashion designer, best known for his role as leader and guitarist of the visual kei band Malice Mizer. His clothing label, Moi-même-Moitié, helped popularize Japan's Gothic Lolita fashion movement. Mana is currently working on his solo project Moi dix...
, Wakeshima debuted under the DefStar Records
DefSTAR Records
, is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-History:*1997 - Takashi Yoshida, the president of Warner Music Japan, founded the label as ....
label on May 28, 2008 with the single "Still Doll", the ending theme for the anime adaptation of the manga series Vampire Knight
Vampire Knight
is a shōjo manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino. The series premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with eleven volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed in...
. She also provided the voice for a maid that appears in the eighth episode of the series. Wakeshima's second single "Suna no Oshiro", released on November 12, 2008, was used as the ending theme for the series' second season (subtitled Guilty).
She was nominated for a Best Newcomer award for 2008 in the fourth annual Shojo Beat Music Awards, nominees of which are determined by surveying "record companies, music journalists, music experts, and music fans".
Biography
Before her birth, Wakeshima's music-loving parents wished for her to be a musician. At the age of three, she began learning the celloCello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, marking her entry into the world of music. In junior high school she formed her own ensemble group. At the age of fifteen, she transitioned from her former classical ensembles into playing in the baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
section. Appearing in a variety of recitals and concerts throughout her school years, she began writing her own music and combining singing with her cello playing at the age of sixteen. As she transitioned from junior high school to high school, she began writing her own music and singing. She gave her first vocal performances during a high school festival.
Wakeshima auditioned at Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
as a singer, originally not intending to include her cello playing with her demo tape
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, but later changing her mind after experimenting with performing with the piano. She became a finalist at the audition, contracting with the Sony subsidiary DefStar Records
DefSTAR Records
, is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-History:*1997 - Takashi Yoshida, the president of Warner Music Japan, founded the label as ....
and debuting on May 28, 2008 with her first single, "Still Doll". The single was chosen as the ending theme for the first season of the anime adaptation of Vampire Knight
Vampire Knight
is a shōjo manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino. The series premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with eleven volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed in...
.
She uses cellos, one for performing, one for music videos and one for recording. Wakeshima has given each cello a name. The white cello is known as "Mikazuki-san", which means "crescent moon". This is the cello she is normally seen performing on during live performances. The red cello is known as "Nanachie-san", which means "wisdom". This is the cello commonly seen in her music videos. According to Wakeshima, Nanachie-san is very hard to play but she manages. Her third cello is a brown cello called "Yaeharu-san", which means "multi-layered spring". Yaeharu-san is very special to Wakeshima since she has had it since middle school, and it is the one she practices on and records with. Currently, she has a new silver cello named "Momotose."
She has recently formed a group with An Cafe
An Cafe
is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2003 and signed to the independent label Loop Ash. They are an oshare kei band, but now describe themselves as "Harajuku Dance Rock". The group has released five full-length albums and three EPs...
's bassist Kanon, called KanonxKanon. The group sang the second theme song for the anime adaptation of Shiki, called "Calendula Requiem".
KanonxKanon recently made a song "Koi no Doutei" in their newest single, which was later made the OP (opening song) for the new anime "30-sai no Hoken Taiiku" that came out the spring of 2011.
Overseas Performances
Kanon has done numerous performances overseas, including being invited to Japan Expo 2009 in Paris, France and Otakon 2009 in Baltimore, MD. Kanon has also done short concerts in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She was also invited to AM²AM²
AM² is a three-day anime convention that was held on July 1–3, 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. It is notable for having no compulsory membership purchase. Instead, an optional attendees can buy a "Passport" which grants various perks, such as priority access to major...
2011, an anime convention in Anaheim, where she had both, a solo and a KanonXKanon concert. Following AM2 Kanon also appeared at Hyper Japan 2011 in London in July and in Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong 2011.
Kanon is also scheduled to perform in various cities in Europe at the end of 2011 as Kanon x Kanon
The Europe Tour venues and dates are as follows:
04.11.11 Moscow Concert Hall- Moscow / Russia
05.11.11 Zal Ozhidania Club - St.Petersburg / Russia
07.11.11 Tavastia - Helsinki / Finland
09.11.11 Club 202 - Budapest / Hungary
11.11.11 Columbia Club - Berlin / Germany
12.11.11 Zeche - Bochum / Germany
14.11.11 De Helling - Utrecht / Netherlands
15.11.11 Le Marche Gare - Lyon / France
16.11.11 Divan du Monde - Paris / France
18.11.11 O2 Academy Islington - London / GB
Singles
- "Still Doll" (2008) OriconOricon, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Singles chart peak rank 33 Oricon Singles chart peak rank 39 (digital download, theme song of the online game Avalon no Kagi)
External links
- Official Website
- Kanon Wakeshima at Maru Music
- Kanon Wakeshima Interview at Anime Dream
- Kanon Wakeshima Interview for Purple SKY
- Getting ready for the first UK performance from gothic Lolita icon Kanon Wakeshima