Kohmi Hirose
Encyclopedia
is a J-pop
singer-songwriter
. She started piano lessons at the age of 4 and within a year was writing songs.
and then Kunitachi College of Music
in 1989. During her student days, she visited Los Angeles
and decided to pursue a career in pop music after seeing Michael Jackson
and Madonna
in concert. Soon after, she began taking voice lessons from Seth Riggs
, Michael Jackson's voice trainer of 3 years. Her favorite singer is David Foster
.
She chose the stage name "Kohmi Hirose" as sounded like the English phrase "call me" and was a suggestion from the Victor Entertainment
staff.
After returning from America, her first album "Bingo!" was released in July 1992, but the first big hit for her was her 3rd single released in December 1993, "Romance no Kamisama
", which sold 1.75 million copies. Subsequent album and single releases around that time of year, as well as her sponsorship deal with the skiing
goods company Alpen to write songs for their winter-time commercials, earned her the title of the "Queen of Winter", and this was reinforced with the single "Gelaende ga Tokeru Hodo Koishitai" in December 1995. She is rather unique in the J-pop world in that she writes virtually all her own music & lyrics, and does most of the arrangements as well. She did not do any live tours until 2001, and when tickets went on sale, they sold out in 15 minutes. Another concert tour, only her second, was performed during early 2007 and a DVD of this tour was released in December of that year. Her musical output seems to be slowing down, with 2007 only producing 2 greatest hits albums, and 2008 a re-release from 1997.
Kohmi married actor Takao Osawa in March 1999, but they announced they were getting divorced in November 2006. She has written songs and produced music for many other artists, including Hitomi Shimatani, and is now the principal of a successful vocal school in Shibuya called "DoDream".
She married in October 2008 again to an American.
Her 1997 single "promise
" is featured within the Geddan/Get Down internet meme.
The single "Groovy!" is the ending theme for the first 35 chapters of the anime Cardcaptor Sakura
.
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. She started piano lessons at the age of 4 and within a year was writing songs.
Biography
Asami Yonemitsu graduated from Fukuoka Jo Gakuin UniversityFukuoka Jo Gakuin University
is a private women's college in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1885 by American Methodist Missionary Jean "Jennie" Margaret Gheer. It was chartered as a junior women's college in 1964, and it became a four-year college in 1990.-External links:*...
and then Kunitachi College of Music
Kunitachi College of Music
The is a private music school in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1926 as the Tokyo Conservatory of Music.It is located at Kashiwa-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo.-Notable alumni:*Masamichi Amano, composer*Ahn Eak-tai, composer and conductor...
in 1989. During her student days, she visited Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and decided to pursue a career in pop music after seeing Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
in concert. Soon after, she began taking voice lessons from Seth Riggs
Seth Riggs
Seth Riggs is an American vocal coach and founder of a technique known as Speech Level Singing. Some of his students have included Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Jackson, Kalil Wilson, Ray Charles, Josh Groban and Philip Webb.- External links :...
, Michael Jackson's voice trainer of 3 years. Her favorite singer is David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
.
She chose the stage name "Kohmi Hirose" as sounded like the English phrase "call me" and was a suggestion from the Victor Entertainment
Victor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
staff.
After returning from America, her first album "Bingo!" was released in July 1992, but the first big hit for her was her 3rd single released in December 1993, "Romance no Kamisama
Romance no Kamisama
is the third single by Japanese pop singer-songwriter Kohmi Hirose. Originally released on December 1, 1993, the song, translated as "The Cupid of Romance", is Hirose's most successful to date, selling over one million copies in Japan...
", which sold 1.75 million copies. Subsequent album and single releases around that time of year, as well as her sponsorship deal with the skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
goods company Alpen to write songs for their winter-time commercials, earned her the title of the "Queen of Winter", and this was reinforced with the single "Gelaende ga Tokeru Hodo Koishitai" in December 1995. She is rather unique in the J-pop world in that she writes virtually all her own music & lyrics, and does most of the arrangements as well. She did not do any live tours until 2001, and when tickets went on sale, they sold out in 15 minutes. Another concert tour, only her second, was performed during early 2007 and a DVD of this tour was released in December of that year. Her musical output seems to be slowing down, with 2007 only producing 2 greatest hits albums, and 2008 a re-release from 1997.
Kohmi married actor Takao Osawa in March 1999, but they announced they were getting divorced in November 2006. She has written songs and produced music for many other artists, including Hitomi Shimatani, and is now the principal of a successful vocal school in Shibuya called "DoDream".
She married in October 2008 again to an American.
Her 1997 single "promise
Promise (Kohmi Hirose song)
"Promise" is the eleventh single by Japanese recording artist Kohmi Hirose. It was released on November 27, 1997, as the second single from Hirose's seventh studio album, Rhapsody . The title track and B-side, "Chocolate," were both written and composed by Hirose...
" is featured within the Geddan/Get Down internet meme.
The single "Groovy!" is the ending theme for the first 35 chapters of the anime Cardcaptor Sakura
Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
.
Album
- Bingo! (1992.07.22)
- "good luck!" (1993.03.24)
- Success Story (1993.12.16)
- Fuji TV's DRAMA "Ue wo muite arukou" ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (1994.5.21)
- Harvest (1994.12.16)
- Beginning Part 2 (1995.06.21)
- Love Together (1995.12.16)
- welcome-musik (1997.02.05)
- Movie "Tokimeki Memorial" original soundtrack (1997.08.08)
- Thousands of Covers Disc1 (1997.08.21)
- rhapsody (1998.01.15)
- THE BEST"Love Winters" (1998.11.11)
- Music D. (1999.12.16)
- Hirose Kohmi THE BEST Love Winters ~ballads~ (2001.11.07)
- LOVEBIRD (2004.12.16)
- Musical “Hakuja-den/ White Lovers” song selection (as sound director - 2006.11.08)
- GIFT＋ (2006.11.22)
- THE BEST Love Winters & Ballads (2007.02.21)
- Alpen Best (2007.12.05)
- Thousands of Covers (2008.03.26) (re-release of 1997.08.21 issue)
- Making My Life Better (2008.12.03)
- Tie-Up Collection ~Hirose Kohmi no Terebi de Kiita Ano Kyokutachi~ (2009.12.16)
- DRAMA Songs (2010.01.20)
- Meikyoku Album (2010.12.15)
Single
Asterisks indicate songs performed for Alpen, Co. (1992.12.02) (1993.05.21) (1993.12.01)* (1994.05.11) (1995.05.24)* (1995.05.24) (1995.12.01)*- DEAR...again (1996.11.11)* (1997.01.01)* (1997.07.24)
- promisePromise (Kohmi Hirose song)"Promise" is the eleventh single by Japanese recording artist Kohmi Hirose. It was released on November 27, 1997, as the second single from Hirose's seventh studio album, Rhapsody . The title track and B-side, "Chocolate," were both written and composed by Hirose...
(1997.11.27)* (1998.01.15)* - Groovy! (1998.09.23) (1998.12.02)*
- I Wish (1999.01.21)* (1999.11.20)* (2000.01.13)* (2000.03.23)
- More More Love Winters (2000.11.22) (maxi re-mix single)*
- Search-Light (2001.01.24)* (2001.09.21)
- Velvet (2001.12.05)* (2002.01.23)* (2004.11.17) (2006.02.15) (2009.12.16)*
Video/DVD
- hirose kohmi THE VIDEO Love Winters (10 video clips - 2000.12.06)
- HIROSE KOHMI THE LIVE WINTER COLLECTION 2001-2002 (live footage from 2001/2002 concert tour - 2002.03.21)
- Tour 2007 GIFT + Shiawase wa Fuyu ni Yattekuru (live footage from 2007 concert tour - 2007.12.05)