Tomomi Kahala
Encyclopedia
born on August 17, 1974 in Tokyo
), is a Japan
ese J-pop
singer. She is famous for working with Tetsuya Komuro
who gave her much success in the 1990s, which led to her deep dip in popularity after 1999, the year in which she released her first non-TK produced album, One Fine Day. Tomomi Kahala and Tetsuya Komuro dated for a few years, but they suffered from personal problems which led to their breakup. After a period of sickness, Kahala's talent agency terminated her contract on June 29, 2007.
in 1974. She attended Showa Gakuin Elementary, Shoin Junior, and Senior High School
. She started her horse-riding lesson when she was three, and later received the 4th place in the National Sports Festival of Japan
in 1992. Before she started her career as a singer, she worked as a model, and appeared in fashion magazines such as CanCam
and Vivi (magazine)
as well as TV shows.
, her first single Keep Yourself Alive was released in late 1995, selling over 360,000 copies and went Top 10, peaking at #8. Her second single, I Believe, was her first million-seller and added to her popularity. In March 1996, she released the single I'm Proud which peaked at #2 and was her best-selling single, outselling all of Namie Amuro
's singles released that year. In June 1996, she finally released her first album, Love Brace, a collection of songs about love and stated by Tetsuya Komuro to be his best work to date. It was a huge success selling over 2.5 million copies, half of them within the first week of release.
Already a big star, she and Tetsuya Komuro became an item and she continued to release singles, all peaking at 1. In December 1997, she finally released her second album, Storytelling. It went to the top of the charts and sold 1.37 million copies, much less than the 2.5 million copies that her previous album has sold.
Her breakup with Tetsuya Komuro, frequent scandals, and suicide
attempts shedded her in a negative light in the conservative Japanese media. She finally left her record company, who released a compilation which sold well, over 600,000 copies and debuted at #1. At that time, gossip magazines were labeling rising-star, Ami Suzuki
, as Kahala's replacement.
After some time relaxing after the scandals, Tomomi Kahala resumed her career at Warner writing her own lyrics.
) and recorded songs by Gary Carolla (N Sync) and Vincent Degiorgio (N Sync, Atomic Kitten
, Love, Inc.
, Mink, Nakano Mori Band) which appeared on her albums One Fine Day and Love Again, released in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
In 2004, Kahala signed with Universal Music Japan. Her most recent recordings for Universal Music Japan have shown her in a dazzling and sultry light with some of her best vocal performances to date. She covered some of her biggest hits and also recorded new songs from Korean and Japanese composers as well as pop standards such as "Ben
," a famous song by Michael Jackson
. Her best-selling album at Universal sold a little over 50,000 copies and her latest album, Naked, sold only 12,000 copies, but she was still be seen in the media.
In 2006, after years of average fame, Tomomi Kahala returned briefly to the spotlight. She starred in a musical and her latest photobook, Crystallize II, which came with two strawberry condom
s, sold unexpectedely well. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/culture/waiwai/face/archive/news/2006/20060414p2g00m0dm018000c.html She was one of the voice actors for the 'Sound of Music' Japanese DVD and she sang the theme song for a NHK Taiga drama.
On November 4, 2008, Tetsuya Komuro was arrested, and Japanese weekly magazine Josei Jishin reported that Kahala was shocked by his arrest and suffered from insomnia.
On January 17, 2009, she was taken to a hospital reportedly because she took excessive amounts of tranquilizers.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
), is a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese J-pop
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. She is famous for working with Tetsuya Komuro
Tetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...
who gave her much success in the 1990s, which led to her deep dip in popularity after 1999, the year in which she released her first non-TK produced album, One Fine Day. Tomomi Kahala and Tetsuya Komuro dated for a few years, but they suffered from personal problems which led to their breakup. After a period of sickness, Kahala's talent agency terminated her contract on June 29, 2007.
before 1995: Early life and career
Kahala was born in Koto, TokyoKoto, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 442,271 and a population density of 11,070 persons per km². The total area is 39.48 km². The ward refers to itself as Kōtō City in English....
in 1974. She attended Showa Gakuin Elementary, Shoin Junior, and Senior High School
Shoin Junior and Senior High School
is a Japanese high school located in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo. It is affiliated with the Shoin University. The predecessor of the school, a women's school, was founded in 1941...
. She started her horse-riding lesson when she was three, and later received the 4th place in the National Sports Festival of Japan
National Sports Festival of Japan
is the national premier sports event of Japan. The abbreviated name is Kokutai . The 65th National Sports Festival of Japan was held in October 2010 in Chiba Prefecture.- Emperor's Cup and Empress Cup Champions :...
in 1992. Before she started her career as a singer, she worked as a model, and appeared in fashion magazines such as CanCam
CanCam
is a Japanese fashion magazine published by Shogakukan. Its name supposedly derives from "I Can Campus", because girls who read it are expected to become "campus leaders". The magazine was created for fashion-conscious consumers, and offers information on fashion, makeup, bags, accessories, etc...
and Vivi (magazine)
Vivi (magazine)
is a Japanese fashion magazine published by K L. ViVi is one of Asia's top fashion magazines, and is published in Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand...
as well as TV shows.
1995–1997: Rise to fame
While working with Tetsuya KomuroTetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...
, her first single Keep Yourself Alive was released in late 1995, selling over 360,000 copies and went Top 10, peaking at #8. Her second single, I Believe, was her first million-seller and added to her popularity. In March 1996, she released the single I'm Proud which peaked at #2 and was her best-selling single, outselling all of Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...
's singles released that year. In June 1996, she finally released her first album, Love Brace, a collection of songs about love and stated by Tetsuya Komuro to be his best work to date. It was a huge success selling over 2.5 million copies, half of them within the first week of release.
Already a big star, she and Tetsuya Komuro became an item and she continued to release singles, all peaking at 1. In December 1997, she finally released her second album, Storytelling. It went to the top of the charts and sold 1.37 million copies, much less than the 2.5 million copies that her previous album has sold.
1998–1999: Decline
Since the release of Storytelling, her popularity began to decline and her relationship with her mentor, Tetsuya Komuro, was in every tabloid. Gossip magazines rumored that both of them were abusing drugs and that their relationship was beginning to fall apart. Her next single tumblin dice went only to the number-two position. Her music did not reach the top position again. Her next album, nine cubes, sold a depressing 261,000 copies, much less than her first two albums.Her breakup with Tetsuya Komuro, frequent scandals, and suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attempts shedded her in a negative light in the conservative Japanese media. She finally left her record company, who released a compilation which sold well, over 600,000 copies and debuted at #1. At that time, gossip magazines were labeling rising-star, Ami Suzuki
Ami Suzuki
is a female singer, songwriter, actress and DJ from Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Having been discovered at the talent TV show Asayan, Suzuki was one of the most popular female singers as an idol in the late 1990s....
, as Kahala's replacement.
After some time relaxing after the scandals, Tomomi Kahala resumed her career at Warner writing her own lyrics.
1999–2006: Post-Tetsuya Komuro
After Komuro, Kahala worked with a variety of producers at Warner Music Japan, such as American Andy Marvel (Diana King, Jessica SimpsonJessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
) and recorded songs by Gary Carolla (N Sync) and Vincent Degiorgio (N Sync, Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten were an English girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1997. Created by Andy McCluskey, the final line-up, and most commercially successful, consisted of Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon, and Jenny Frost...
, Love, Inc.
Love Inc. (band)
Love Inc. was a dance music act from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The group was formed by DJ/remixer/producers Chris Sheppard and Brad Daymond, with Simone Denny on vocals. The Sheppard and Denny combination previously worked together in the Quality Records dance outfit BKS, an acronym using the...
, Mink, Nakano Mori Band) which appeared on her albums One Fine Day and Love Again, released in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
In 2004, Kahala signed with Universal Music Japan. Her most recent recordings for Universal Music Japan have shown her in a dazzling and sultry light with some of her best vocal performances to date. She covered some of her biggest hits and also recorded new songs from Korean and Japanese composers as well as pop standards such as "Ben
Ben (song)
"Ben" is a song written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name . It was performed in the film by Lee Montgomery and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop...
," a famous song by 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...
. Her best-selling album at Universal sold a little over 50,000 copies and her latest album, Naked, sold only 12,000 copies, but she was still be seen in the media.
In 2006, after years of average fame, Tomomi Kahala returned briefly to the spotlight. She starred in a musical and her latest photobook, Crystallize II, which came with two strawberry condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s, sold unexpectedely well. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/culture/waiwai/face/archive/news/2006/20060414p2g00m0dm018000c.html She was one of the voice actors for the 'Sound of Music' Japanese DVD and she sang the theme song for a NHK Taiga drama.
2007–Present: Hiatus
On June 29, 2007, Kahala was fired by her talent agency after repeated personal problems affected her professional appearances. After this, she went on a hiatus, and it was unsure if she would return.On November 4, 2008, Tetsuya Komuro was arrested, and Japanese weekly magazine Josei Jishin reported that Kahala was shocked by his arrest and suffered from insomnia.
On January 17, 2009, she was taken to a hospital reportedly because she took excessive amounts of tranquilizers.
Singles
- "Keep yourself alive" September 8, 1995
- "I believe" October 11, 1995
- "I'm proud" March 6, 1996 #2 1,372,420 copies sold
- "Love Brace" July 22, 1996
- "Save your dream" October 2, 1996 808,570 copies sold
- "Hate tell a lie" April 23, 1997 1,058,610 copies sold
- "Love is all music" July 2, 1997 653,000 copies sold
- "Tanoshiku Tanoshiku" Yasashikune September 18, 1997
- "I wanna go" February 11, 1998
- "You Don't give up" April 8, 1998
- "tumblin' dice" June 17, 1998
- "here we are" July 29, 1998
- "Daily News" October 14, 1998
- "as A person" July 22, 1999
- "Be Honest" October 27, 1999
- "Believe In Future" February 23, 2000
- "Blue Sky" July 26, 2000
- "Never Say Never" April 18, 2001
- "Precious" August 8, 2001
- "Anata no Kakera" October 24, 2001
- "Akiramemashou" April 24, 2002
- "Pleasure" February 26, 2003
- "Anata Ga Ireba" September 28, 2004
- "Namida No Tsuzuki" May 24, 2005
- "Hana/Keep on Running" February 22, 2006
- "Ano sayonara ni sayonara wo" July 5, 2006
Albums
- Love Brace June 3, 1996
- Storytelling December 24, 1997 1,365,860 copies sold
- Nine cubes November 26, 1998
- Kahala Compilation February 10, 1999 695,730 copies sold
- One Fine Day November 25, 1999
- Best Selection September 27, 2001
- Love Again November 21, 2001
- Natural Breeze - Kahala Best 1998-2002- July 17, 2002
- Naked July 17, 2005
- Super Best Singles~10th Anniversary December 14, 2005
DVD
- Tomomi Kahala First Live December 12, 2001
- very best of Music ClipsMarch 27, 2002
- 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert 2005 December 7, 2005
Books
- Mirai wo Shinjite January 27, 2000
- Ku ari Raku ari: Mirai wo Shinjite Part 2 July 25, 2001
- ShowbizDecember 12, 2001
- Crystallize December 20, 2005
- Crystallize II March 27, 2006