, born on January 29, 1987, is a Japanese pop singer signed under Universal Music Japan. She had been active in singing for several years before debuting as a solo artist in 2009. Maria plays electric guitar and writes her own lyrics.

Career

Ayaka used to be a member of Nansho Kids, a sub-group of the famous stage group .Her first break in showbiz world was her role as young Nala in the Japanese version of the musical The Lion King

The Lion King

The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...

. In 2002, she was part of a three members girlband called 'SpringS' along with Aya Hirano

Aya Hirano

from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She was contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of the Space Craft Group, for her voice acting career, and for her singing career,...

 and Yuuki Yoshida

Sound Horizon

Sound Horizon, abbreviated by fans as Sanhora , is a Japanese musical group with composer Revo as the leader. They call themselves the "fantasy band" and have released their works that closely resemble suites.-History:...

. The unit disbanded in 2003, after releasing one album and four singles. In 2006, she formed the duo 'Itokubo' with Keiko Kubota

FictionJunction

FictionJunction is Japanese composer Yuki Kajiura’s solo project. To date, all such collaborations have consisted of a vocalist, with Kajiura on the keyboard or the piano. Most FictionJunction songs have been featured in an anime series , most notably Gundam Seed, Tsubasa Chronicle and recently...

. Due to a suggestion from Shouko Nakagawa, one of her close friends, in 2007 she went on a music coaching school and finally made her own debut two years later under the name Maria.

Solo discography

Albums

1. [2010.02.24] - WILL

Singles

1. [2009.05.20] - Getaway #63
2. [2009.07.15] - Goin' My Way #55
3. [2009.10.28] - D.I.T. #27
4. [2010.01.27] - #30

SpringS discography

Albums

1. [2003.03.26] - Springs Super Best

Singles

1. [2003.01.22] - DOWN TOWN
2. [2003.02.26] -
3. [2003.03.26] - Raspberry Dream
4. [2003.09.03] - Identified

External links

• Official site
• Official blog