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Mari Hamada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the actress, seeMari Hamada (actress).

Mari Hamada
Bang điền ma lí
Born(1962-07-18)July 18, 1962(age 62)
Nishi-Shinjuku,Tokyo,Japan
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1978–present
Labels
Websitemari-hamada.com

Mari Hamada(Japanese:Bang điền ma lí,Hepburn:Hamada Mari,born July 18, 1962)is a Japanese rock singer and songwriter. Having performed in bands since high school, Hamada made her professional debut as a solo act in 1983. She quickly became known as the "Queen of Heavy Metal"(ヘヴィメタルの nữ vương,Hevī Metaru no Joō).[1][2][3]In 2019, Hamada become the first Japanese musician to top the vocalist category of heavy metal magazineBurrn!'s readers poll in its 36 year history.[a]Throughout her career, she has released 25 singles and 23 studio albums.[5]

Biography

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Early history

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Mari Hamada started singing when she joined a choir at elementary school and participated in recording TV commercial jingles while in junior high. While at Musashigaoka High School, she formed apunk rockband called Mari Band. During her tenure atAoyama Gakuin University,Hamada was a backing vocalist for the band Hamachan and the lead vocalist of the all-female rock band Misty Cats; the latter having recorded the demo song "Misty Blue" for the various artists albumKichijōji Yamaha Studio Take-1 Presents: 7th One Way Contestin 1982.[5][6][7]

1980s

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In 1983, Hamada released her debut albumLunatic Doll ~ Ansatsu Keikoku,which was produced byDaiko NagatoandLoudnessdrummerMunetaka Higuchiand released byVictor Entertainmentunder the "Invitation" label. She gained some attention whenShigesato Itoiwrote: "Mari-chan isheavy metal."(Ma lí ちゃんは, ヘビーメタル.,Mari-chan wa, hebī metaru.).The album made her the flag bearer for Japanese female rock vocalists, which was a small and unusual market at the time. A year later, Hamada released the albumMisty Lady,which began her career as a songwriter.[5][6][8]Hamada said it was around the time she headlined the Music Wave 84 event, which also featuredEarthshaker,44Magnum,Ann LewisandMake-Up,atHibiya Open-Air Concert Hallin July of that year that she was first dubbed the "Queen of Heavy Metal".[1]

In 1985, Hamada releasedBlue Revolution,with thetitle trackbecoming her first career single. It was also her first self-produced album. For her 1987 albumIn the Precious Age,Hamada flew toLos Angelesto work with producerMike Clinkand record with artists such asToto'sMike PorcaroandJeff Porcaro.From that point on, she changed her musical style to a more mainstreampop rocksound.[8]In 1988, Hamada released the song "Heart and Soul",which was used byNHKon their coverage of the1988 Summer OlympicsinSeoul.The song peaked at No. 7 onOricon's singles chart. Hamada was invited to perform on the 39thKōhaku Uta Gassen,but she declined the offer.

In 1989, Hamada's ninth albumReturn to Myselftopped Oricon's albums chart and went Platinum. In addition, the title track "Return to Myself ~Shinai, Shinai, Natsu."hit No. 1 on Oricon's singles chart.[9]

1990s

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Hamada's 1990 albumColorsreached No. 2 and was certified Gold. A year later, she switched labels toMCA Victor,withTomorrowalso peaking at No. 2, but going Platinum. Hamada's 10th anniversary albumAnti-Heroinetopped the albums chart in 1993. That year, she participated in the charity group "Used to Be a Child", concept similar toBand Aidwhere performers donate earnings from a single to charitable causes; in this case the money went toImabari City'sIslet Organization. Hamada also went global with the international releaseIntroducing... Mari Hamada,which consists of original English-language songs and some of her hits reworked in English. The album was released in Asia on May 30, 1993.[10]She made her European debut in 1994 with a re-arranged version of the album and participated at that year'sMidemin France.[11]Hamada also released the follow-up albumAll My Heartin Asian markets that year. The album features "Fixing a Broken Heart",a duet with Australian bandIndecent Obsession.[5][6]

In 1996, Hamada's albumPersonahit No. 2 on Oricon's albums chart. During this time, she put her touring activities on hold to focus on songwriting and recording. Two years later,Universal Music Japantransferred her to thePolydorlabel. Her two albums under the label,PhilosophiaandBlanche,failed to crack the top-10.

2000s

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In 2002, Hamada signed withTokuma Japan Communicationsand releasedMarigold.She also resumed live touring that year when she performed at theAkasaka Blitzjust before it was completely demolished and rebuilt. Since then, Hamada would release a new album and tour every two years. Her album sales, however, were not of the same level as the decade before, with each album barely hovering within the Top 100.[6]

2010s

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In 2010, Hamada returned to her heavy metal roots withAestetica,which received heavy airplay. The album sparked a resurgence in her career, reaching No. 35 on Oricon's albums chart. Her live videoMari Hamada Live in Tokyo "Aestetica",which was filmed at theNakano Sun Plaza,peaked at No. 2 on Oricon's DVD chart. Hamada followed up the success with her 2012 albumLegenda.

Hamada kicked off her 30th anniversary celebration in 2013 with the compilation albumInclination IIIand an extensive national tour. In 2014, she released the boxed setMari Hamada Complete Single Collection.[12][13]At the same time, her former and current labels reissued her past albums in Super High Material CD (SHM-CD) format. In April, Hamada performed an extended concert in Tokyo, which was filmed forWOWOW.The concert was aired on Japanese television on July 20, 2014, including two interviews with Mari, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray in January 2015. On August 16, Hamada performed live at theSummer Sonic Festival,an annual two-day rock festival held at two venues simultaneously with bands switching venues for the second day.[14]On August 31, September 3 and 7, 2014, she performed concerts with a symphony orchestra titled "Rock Queen Orchestra".[15][16]On October 11, 2015, Hamada performed live at the Loud Park Festival, with Loudness guitaristAkira Takasakias a special guest. On January 13, 2016, Hamada released the albumMission,which peaked at No. 11 on Oricon's albums chart. The last show of theMissiontour was filmed and released on DVD and Blu-ray asMari Hamada Live Tour 2016 "Mission"on February 22, 2017.[17]

To celebrate her 35th anniversary, Hamada returned to Victor Entertainment in April 2018. She releasedGraciaon August 1; the album went all the way to No. 6 on Oricon's albums chart, becoming her first top-10 album sincePersona.A year later, she released the compilation albumLight for the Ages -35th Anniversary Best～Fan's Selection-.[18][5]She also performed at theNippon Budokanfor the first time in 25 years on April 19. The concert was released on DVD and Blu-ray asMari Hamada 35th Anniversary Live "Gracia" at Budokanon December 18.[19][20]

2020s

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In 2020, Hamada became the first Japanese vocalist to win the reader's popularity vote onBurrn!magazine's 36th Heavy Metal Championship for 2019.[4][21]

Hamada's 24th studio albumSoarwas released on April 19, 2023 to coincide with her 40th anniversary.[22]

Personal life

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Hamada's younger sister Eri Hamada(Bang điền hội lí,Hamada Eri)tours with her band as a backing vocalist.[5]

In a 2014 interview with Japanese media websiteNatalie,Hamada stated that she does not doTwitteror blogs because she is not good at using social media.[8]She did, however, open her official Twitter account in February 2017.[23]She also does not follow other artists and prefers to listen to anything different from her genre, such asCeltic musicorworld music.[8]

Band personnel

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Current members

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  • Takashi Masuzaki(Dimension) – guitar (1987–present)
  • ISAO – guitar (2018–present)
  • BOH – bass (2018–present)
  • Hideki Harasawa – drums (2018–present)
  • Takanobu Masuda – keyboards (1985–1992; 2002–present)
  • Masafumi Nakao – keyboards, sound effects (1991–present)
  • ERI (Eri Hamada) – backing vocals (1985–present)

Former members

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  • Katsuya Satō – guitar (1983–1987)
  • Fumio Kaneko – guitar (1983–1986)
  • Hiro Sugihara – guitar (1983)
  • Kenji Kitajima (Fence of Defense) – guitar (1984)
  • Tak Matsumoto(B'z) – guitar (1986, 1988)
  • Kazuo Shimizu – guitar (1988–1991)
  • Junichi Kawauchi – guitar (1993)
  • Yōichi Fujii – guitar (2007–2016)
  • Nozomi Wakai – guitar (2016)
  • Kinta Moriyama (5X) – bass (1983)
  • Toshimi Nagai – bass (1993)
  • Tony Franklin– bass (1994)
  • Tomonori "You" Yamada – bass (1983–1992; 2002–2016)
  • Jun Harada (5X) – drums (1983)
  • Haruki Niekawa – drums (1983–1986)
  • Noriyuki Okada – drums (1986–1991)
  • Hirotsugu Homma (Anthem) – drums (1991–2007)
  • Tony Thompson – drums (1994)
  • Satoshi "Joe" Miyawaki (44MAGNUM/ZIGGY) – drums (2008–2016)
  • Takayoshi Kobayashi – keyboards (1984–1986)
  • Kazuhiro Hara – keyboards (1988–1990)
  • Paul Mirkovich– keyboards (1994)
  • Mai – backing vocals (1983–1984)
  • A-mi (Eiko Kamata) – backing vocals (1991–1993)

Discography

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Main article:Mari Hamada discography

Notes

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  1. ^From 1984 to 1986,Burrn!had separate vocalist categories for men and women. Hamada topped the female poll all three years, before the categories were combined in 1987.[4]

References

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  1. ^ab"【 bang điền ma lí 40 chu niên インタビュー】 đệ 1 đạn:" ヘヴィメタル "を yết げて tiên liệt なデビュー âm lặc tính の xác lập やイメージとの cát đằng, vân thuyết の『MUSIC WAVE 84』まで chấn り phản る".Real Sound(in Japanese). March 15, 2023.RetrievedAugust 24,2024.
  2. ^"Bang điền ma lí デビュー40 chu niên tiến hóa した phong かなボーカルを hưởng かせる tân tác 『Soar』に歓 hỉ と kinh ngạc の thanh".Oricon(in Japanese). April 28, 2023.RetrievedAugust 24,2024.
  3. ^"Bang điền ma lí, sơ めてのYouTube Live sinh phối tín".Natalie(in Japanese). April 18, 2023.RetrievedAugust 24,2024.
  4. ^ab"Bang điền ma lí が nhật bổn nhân sơ khoái cử, メタル chuyên môn chí “BURRN!” Đọc giả nhân khí đầu phiếu でヴォーカリスト1 vị に ".Billboard Japan(in Japanese). March 6, 2020.RetrievedAugust 24,2024.
  5. ^abcdef"Biography".Mari Hamada Official Website.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  6. ^abcd"Mari Hamada Biography".AllMusic.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  7. ^Kichijoji Yamaha Studio Take-1 Presents: 7th One Way ContestatDiscogs
  8. ^abcd"Bang điền ma lí “MARI HAMADA -COMPLETE SINGLE COLLECTION-” インタビュー ".Natalie.mu.January 8, 2014.RetrievedApril 21,2020.
  9. ^Note: Readers unfamiliar with Japan should note that Oricon is essentially the Japanese equivalent of the Billboard charts seen in the United States. Oricon is an English word, a compound of "original confidence" and they rank sales of much more than records and albums, they provide charts for sales of films on DVD, computer games, books, magazines, television programs and commercials, and even lists for computers and consumer electronics.
  10. ^Teller, Al (May 14, 1994)."MCA: Poised for Int'l Growth with 6 New Euro Companies".Billboard.RetrievedApril 27,2020.
  11. ^"MIDEM Highlights".Billboard.January 29, 1994.RetrievedApril 27,2020.
  12. ^"Bang điền ma lí 30 chu niên でシングルBOX, quá khứ アルバムSHM-CD hóa".Natalie.mu.October 1, 2013.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  13. ^"Bang điền ma lí, bổn nhân chứng ngôn で bách る nữ tính ロックシンガーとしての30 niên".Natalie.mu.January 8, 2014.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  14. ^"Bang điền ma lí, 30 chu niên ライブで “SUMMER SONIC” xuất diễn を báo cáo ".Natalie.mu.April 28, 2014.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  15. ^"Bang điền ma lí, kim hạ フルオーケストラライブを thật thi".Natalie.mu.September 2, 2014.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  16. ^"Bang điền ma lí ×フルオケコラボに1900 nhân túy いしれる".Natalie.mu.June 9, 2014.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  17. ^"Bang điền ma lí が đản sinh nhật に hành った đông kinh quốc tế フォーラム単 độc công diễn がBD/DVD hóa".Natalie.mu.February 22, 2017.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  18. ^"Bang điền ma lí, 35 chu niên ký niệm ベスト bàn にファン đầu phiếu thượng vị 40 khúc".Natalie.mu.December 26, 2018.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  19. ^"Bang điền ma lí 35 chu niên ラスト sức った võ đạo quán công diễn が ánh tượng hóa".Natalie.mu.December 18, 2019.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  20. ^"Bang điền ma lí The 35th Anniversary Tour" Gracia "at nhật bổn võ đạo quán".WOWOW.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  21. ^"Bang điền ma lí, “BURRN!” Đọc giả nhân khí đầu phiếu で nhật bổn nhân ヴォーカリスト sử thượng sơ のチャンピオンに ".CDJournal.March 6, 2020.RetrievedApril 26,2020.
  22. ^"Bang điền ma lí, 5 niên ぶりのニュー・アルバム『Soar』リリース quyết định リード・トラックの tiên hành phối tín スタート".Yahoo! Japan.March 3, 2023.RetrievedMarch 3,2023.
  23. ^"Mari Hamada Official Twitter".Twitter.RetrievedApril 28,2020.
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