Lisa Furukawa
Encyclopedia
Lisa Furukawa is a Japanese American
pianist, singer, and songwriter.
Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Lisa began studying the piano at the age of three. She has BA’s in Music and Asian Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, and is an educator and translator as well as a performing songwriter. She has translated everything from pop tunes to state songs into Japanese
, and hopes to promote cultural understanding and diversity through music. Utilizing her talents in Contemporary and Classical music
, Lisa’s performances and recordings display a fusion of Japanese folk
, Alternative Pop, and Electronica.
Her latest recording, "Reaching the Dragon" was released in April, 2006. Lisa composed, produced, and performed all of the songs on the new CD. The new work displays a subtle combination of electronic arrangements, piano, and vocals in Japanese
and English.
"Reaching the Dragon" is ambient and lush, and remains hopeful even through the most melancholy moments. Always fascinated by myth
and history, Lisa looked to the Eastern myths and folklore of Dragons for inspiration. Lisa says, "Reaching the Dragon is about tapping into the Yang
spirit, strong basic life force, and accepting change and transformation."
Lisa has three CDs of original songs published through her Yume Label. Her first recording, “This Moment is the Show”, is an intimate CD of solo piano and vocal arrangements. Her second CD, “Pearl Diver”, is a collaborative piece that originated from Lisa’s piano and vocal compositions, but was realized and recorded with cellist, Deborah Shields and percussionist, John Metcalf.
Lisa has performed at various events and festivals, and has entertained audiences in large and small atmospheres. Currently, she is enjoying her appearances and performances at various Anime Conventions
and cultural events around the USA and Canada
. She is exploring the electro/dub sound while composing for the multi-art and multimedia dance troupe, The Wandering Star Project. She hopes to continue pushing technological boundaries while continuing to contribute a lyrical vocal element to electronic music. Lisa has performed in the soulful dream-pop group - The Lovestars, and has enjoyed collaborations with other musicians and film makers. When she isn't performing or teaching, she contributes her time and efforts to helping several charitable organizations by directing events such as the annual Tori Amos Tribute Show and the Triangle Asian-American Music Festival.
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
pianist, singer, and songwriter.
Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Lisa began studying the piano at the age of three. She has BA’s in Music and Asian Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, and is an educator and translator as well as a performing songwriter. She has translated everything from pop tunes to state songs into Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, and hopes to promote cultural understanding and diversity through music. Utilizing her talents in Contemporary and Classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, Lisa’s performances and recordings display a fusion of Japanese folk
Kawachi ondo
Kawachi Ondo is a kind of Japanese folk song that originates from Yao City in the old Kawachi region of Japan, now part of modern-day Osaka Prefecture. This song's style and melody are said to have evolved from another folk song called Gōshū Ondo from Shiga Prefecture, known as Goshu in earlier days...
, Alternative Pop, and Electronica.
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
Her latest recording, "Reaching the Dragon" was released in April, 2006. Lisa composed, produced, and performed all of the songs on the new CD. The new work displays a subtle combination of electronic arrangements, piano, and vocals in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and English.
"Reaching the Dragon" is ambient and lush, and remains hopeful even through the most melancholy moments. Always fascinated by myth
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and history, Lisa looked to the Eastern myths and folklore of Dragons for inspiration. Lisa says, "Reaching the Dragon is about tapping into the Yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
spirit, strong basic life force, and accepting change and transformation."
Lisa has three CDs of original songs published through her Yume Label. Her first recording, “This Moment is the Show”, is an intimate CD of solo piano and vocal arrangements. Her second CD, “Pearl Diver”, is a collaborative piece that originated from Lisa’s piano and vocal compositions, but was realized and recorded with cellist, Deborah Shields and percussionist, John Metcalf.
Lisa has performed at various events and festivals, and has entertained audiences in large and small atmospheres. Currently, she is enjoying her appearances and performances at various Anime Conventions
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and cultural events around the USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She is exploring the electro/dub sound while composing for the multi-art and multimedia dance troupe, The Wandering Star Project. She hopes to continue pushing technological boundaries while continuing to contribute a lyrical vocal element to electronic music. Lisa has performed in the soulful dream-pop group - The Lovestars, and has enjoyed collaborations with other musicians and film makers. When she isn't performing or teaching, she contributes her time and efforts to helping several charitable organizations by directing events such as the annual Tori Amos Tribute Show and the Triangle Asian-American Music Festival.
Discography
| Year | Album Title |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Signal |
| 2006 | Reaching the Dragon |
| 2005 | Pearl Diver |
| 2001 | This Moment Is The Show |
Sources
- Anime News Service 2005
- Fansview article 2005
- Linus Lam Network News 2005
- Anime Web Turnpike 2006
- Otaku Generation Interview 2006
- Featured performer in Siren Song Magazine
- J-Pop World Interview 2009