Anri
Quick Facts
Biography
Anri (杏里), real name Eiko Kawashima (川嶋 栄子, Kawashima Eiko) (born August 31, 1961), is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, born in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Biography
Her debut release was the 1978 Oribia o Kikinagara (While Listening to Olivia), written by Amii Ozaki. Her song "Cat's Eye" was used as the first opening theme for the eponymous 1983 anime series Cat's Eye and debuted as #1 on Countdown Japan. It spent 4 weeks at #1 on the Oricon chart. It was one of the first J-pop songs used as an anime theme song. Another of her hit from the same year was Kanashimi ga Tomaranai (I can't stop the loneliness). Both songs appeared on the 1983 album "Timely!!". She also appeared at the Red and White New Year's Music Special at the end of that same year. Another hit single she had released is "Goodbye Boogie Dance" from November 1983.
Other hit songsinclude Summer Candles and Dolphin Ring, both of which became standard songs played at Japanese weddings and receptions.Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Anri's albums were bestsellers. She has had highly successful tours—one with attendance of almost 100,000—and toured Hawaii for the first time in 1987. She sang the closing theme for the 1998 Winter Olympics at Nagano. In 2002, she began collaborating with jazz fusion guitarist Lee Ritenour, who produced her 2002 LP Smooth Jam - Quiet Storm.
With the renewed popularity of city pop, and her songs having been sampled by many new artists of the vaporwave and future funk genres, Anri has also enjoyed new popularity outside of Japan.
Discography
Studio Albums
Year | Album name | Label |
---|---|---|
1978 | Apricot Jam | For Life Records |
1979 | Feelin' | |
1981 | 哀しみの孔雀 (Sad Peacock) | |
1982 | Heaven Beach | |
1983 | Bi・Ki・Ni | |
Timely!! | ||
1984 | Coool | |
1985 | Wave | |
1986 | Mystique | |
Trouble in Paradise | ||
1987 | Summer Farewell | |
1988 | Boogie Woogie Mainland | |
1990 | Circuit of Rainbow | |
Mind Cruisin' | ||
1991 | Neutral | |
1992 | Moana Lani | |
1993 | 1/2 & 1/2 | |
1996 | Angel Whisper | |
1997 | Twin Soul | |
1998 | Moonlit Summer Tales | |
1999 | Ever Blue | |
2000 | The Beach House | |
2001 | My Music | Dolphin Hearts |
2002 | Smooth Jam: Aspasia | |
Smooth Jam: Quiet Storm | ||
2005 | Sol | Columbia Music Entertainment |
2007 | Tears of Anri | Universal Music |
2008 | Tears of Anri 2 | |
2009 | Anri Again - Best of Myself | |
2013 | Surf City -Coool Breeze- | Ivy Records |
2014 | Surf & Tears | |
2015 | Smooth & Groove | |
2017 | Fun Time | |
2019 | ANRI |
Compilations
Year | Album Name | Label |
---|---|---|
1980 | Anri the Best | For Life Records |
1982 | Amazing American ~ I Love Poping World, Anri ~ | |
1986 | ザ・杏里 | |
1987 | Meditation | |
1988 | My Favorite Songs | |
1991 | My Favorite Songs 2 | |
1994 | 16th Summer Breeze | |
16th Summer Breeze ORIGINAL KARAOKE | ||
1995 | Opus 21 | |
2000 | Anri the Best | |
2003 | R134 Ocean Delights | |
2007 | a day in the summer The Best from "16th Summer Breeze" and "OPUS 21" | |
2011 | Heart to Heart 〜with you〜 | Warner Music Japan |