is a Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

 jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 singer. She was born on the island of Shōdoshima

Shodoshima

is an island located in the Inland Sea of Japan. The name means literally "Island of Small Beans". There are two towns on the island: Tonoshō and Shōdoshima, comprising the district of Shōzu.The island is famous for its stages of Twenty-Four Eyes...

 in Kagawa Prefecture

Kagawa Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...

, 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...

.

After graduating from Musashino Art University

Musashino Art University

is a university in Kodaira, western Tokyo founded in 1962 and has roots going back to 1929.Teikoku Art School was founded in 1929; in 1948 it became Musashino Art School , and in 1962 it became Musashino Art University...

 with a degree in oil painting

Oil painting

Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...

, she studied under Yasushi Sawada.

In 1982 she made her debut with her first jazz album, "Birdland". In 1989, she released the album "フォロー・ミー(FOLLOW ME)" simultaneously in Japan and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It ranked 16th in the Radio & Records

Radio & Records

Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...

 Contemporary Jazz charts. voted Kimiko Number 1 female vocalist in 1988–1996.

In 2004, her cover of the song "Follow Me" was featured in the Mamoru Oshii

Mamoru Oshii

Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2...

-directed film Ghost in the Shell: Innocence.

History

• 1982 Released first album “Birdland”.
• 1986 Joined EPIC/Sony Records. Won Japanese jazz vocal prize.
• 1987 Released album “For Lovers Only”.
• 1988 “For Lovers Only”, from CBS Columbia.
• 1989 Released “Follow Me” ranks 16th in Radio & Records' contemporary jazz list.
• 1990 Released album “A Natural Woman”.
• 1992 Wins Swing Journal grand prix jazz disk for Japanese vocalist.
• 1993 Released album “Standards My Way”. Won 1993 Swing Journal jazz disk grand prix for Japanese vocalist.
• 1994 Performed live at the Japan Society Hall
  Japan Society (New York)
  Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that aims to brings the people of Japan and the United States closer together through understanding, appreciation and cooperation...
  
   in New York City
  New York City
  New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
  
  . Performance went on sale as “Evening with Kimiko Itoh” in CD, videotape and laser disc formats
• 1996 Released album “Sophisticated Lady”
• 1997 Performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival
  Montreux Jazz Festival
  The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
  
   as a duo with Makoto Ozone
  Makoto Ozone
  is a Japanese jazz pianist.He began playing organ at two and by seven was an improviser. He appeared on Japanese television with his father from 1968 to 1970. At twelve he switched to piano after being impressed by albums by Oscar Peterson. In 1980 he entered the Berklee College of Music and later...
  
  . Released “At the Montreux Jazz Festival” recorded live.
• 2000 Released album “Kimiko”, produced by Makoto Ozone. Won 2000 Swing Journal jazz disk grand prix for Japanese vocalist.

Several of Kimiko Itoh's recordings are available from Videoarts Music.

Albums

• Birdland (1982)
• Songs for You (1983)
• The Way We Were (1983)
• A Touch of Love (1986)
• For Lovers Only (1986)
• Follow Me (1988)
• Jazzy Wonderland (1990)
• A Natural Woman (1990)
• The Best of Kimiko Itoh (1991)
• Here I Am (1992)
• Standards My Way (1993)
• An Evening with Kimiko Itoh (1994)
• Sophisticated Lady (1995)
• At The Montreux Jazz Festiva (1997)
• Kimiko (2000)
• Once You've Been in Love (2004)
• Best of Best (2007)
• Jazzdaga? Jazzdaja! (2007)

External links

• Official website