LISA (Japanese musician, born 1974)

Elizabeth Sakura Narita (成田・エリザベス・サクラ, Narita Erizabesu Sakura) (born October 26, 1974 in Tokyo, Japan), better known by her stage name LISA, is a Japanese singer and producer. In 1999 she formed the Japanese urban contemporary group M-Flo with Verbal and Taku Takahashi.

Biography

History

Daughter of a Japanese-American father and African-Colombian mother, LISA met her fellow band members while attending international school in Tokyo. The group signed a record deal with avex group's imprint Rhythm Zone and released their debut EP, "The Tripod e.p.", on July 7, 1999. The group released five albums, one EP, and 11 singles before LISA left M-Flo in the spring of 2002, citing artistic differences. She has since resumed a solo career on Rhythm Zone, with limited success. She rejoined the band for a collaboration, "Tripod Baby", on their album Beat Space Nine in 2005. "Tripod Baby" was also remixed by M-Flo the same year to be used as a promotional song for the video game Shadow the Hedgehog. Prior to joining M-Flo she had performed the theme song "Sea of the Stars" in the anime Legend of Galactic Heroes.

LISA released her fifth album, Elizabeth, on October 25, 2006. The album contains the singles "I, Rhythm" and "Show Time" – the former appeared only on God Sista in a remixed version, a new version of "Tripod Baby", a remix of "Precious Message" from the movie Backdancers!, and "It's On" from God Sista. There are two bonus tracks as well: a collaboration with Los Kalibres called "Matador", which has been previously released on their album De Japon P'Al Mundo, and an acoustic version of the song "Stay, forever".

LISA frequently writes, produces and records with other Japanese artists such as Kumi Koda, Heartsdales and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. She lists Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and Aaliyah as some of her favourite artists, and Cyndi Lauper and Madonna as some of her influences. Her hobbies are music and drawing, and she claims to be a good volleyball player.

After a long series of disappointing sales with her singles, LISA found moderate success with her latest Best Of CD after it reached #27 on the Oricon album sales chart.

Discography

For releases as a member of M-Flo, please see the article on M-Flo

Singles and EPs

1. "Out Of Cry"
2. "One World"
3. "Sea Of The Stars"
4. "Gōru Getto Daisakusen" (ゴール・ゲット大作戦?) "Goal Getting Operation"
5. "Move On" — #7
6. "Babiron no Kiseki" (バビロンの奇跡?) "Babylon miracle" — #31
7. "I'm all you" — #26
8. "Superstar" — #127
9. Flower For The Lion e.p.: "Peace in Love" — #135
10. "My Dearest" — #90
11. "Switch/I Only Want to Be with You" — #43
12. "So Beautiful" — #156
13. "Only if": Diamonds in the Snow e.p. — #133
14. "I, Rhythm" — #94
15. "Showtime" — #199
16. "Tomorrow"

777

Albums

1. Juicy Music — (2003) #5
2. Gratitude — (2004) #18
3. Melody Circus — (2005) #71
4. God Sista — (2006) #90
5. Elizabeth — (2006) #60
6. LISAbest: mission on earth 9307 — (2007) #27
7. Ready to Disco - # 173
8. Got that Fever - (2008)
9. Disco Volante - (2009)
10. Family - (2012)

Compilations

1. Kaze no Ongaku: radiating from an N.G.O. (かぜのおんがく, music of the wind)

Dvds

1. Kaze no Ongaku Raibu (かぜのおんがくライブ, music of the wind live)

Collaborations

• MY ONE STAR fefdng

at. LISA (DJ Makai - Stars (mini-album))#32

• HOUSE NATION feat. LISA (ravex - "I RAVE U feat. DJ OZMA")

References and sources

• "LISA - Oricon Style Wm Music" (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2006-09-16.