Akiko

Japanese jazz singer. Born: 14 December 1976 in Saitama, Urawa (now Saitama City), Japan. In the year 2001, Akiko became the first Japanese jazz singer to sign with the renowned jazz label, Verve Records. She recorded her first album "Girl Talk" (2001) in France with the famous French producer, Henri Renaud, released in June the same year. She was initially famous for her repertoire of over 500 standard jazz songs, but also for her flexibility towards different genres, always molding in new styles for each album she releases. Other than in Japan, she has recorded in Paris, London, New York, Rio De Janeiro, and Oslo. In previous albums, she has worked with producers such as Swing Out Sister, Tatsuo Sunaga, Yasuharu Konishi (of Pizzicato Five), Bugge Wesseltoft (of Jazzland), et al. At the same time, she has participated as guest vocalist for artists in different genres such as [re:jazz], Hajime Yoshizawa, Studio Apartment, Quasimode, and more. Through these many collaborations, she has met with various artists, musicians, and producers from many different genres. In 2009, she released a tribute album for "London Nite", a famous rock party in Tokyo, which she has loved since she was in her teens. As an adviser for the album, she invited Kensho Onuki, the man who brought "London Nite" to life, and through the album, she showed her roots in music is actually in rock and not jazz. Not only a singer, she is also known and praised for her ability as a producer, writing and arranging songs, and also direction for all artwork on her albums.