Happy Boxing Day! I don't personally take part in the mad dash for sales at the shopping malls but hopefully some of you have found some good products for those low, low prices, and at the same time, given some lunch time business to restaurants. For me, I'm just tuckered out from seeing, reading and hearing about all the consumer craziness, and there's nothing that I've really wanted to buy during Boxing Day.
Anyways, to begin this final week of the year between Christmas and New Year's, commenter Robert informed me some days ago about a singer-songwriter by the name of Chigiri Akiyoshi（秋吉契里）. I'd never heard of her before but Robert felt that her short discography was worth exploring. One suggestion he had was the above song titled "Unmei no Tobira" (Destiny's Door) which was the final track of her debut album "Sonzai"（存在...Existence） from December 1997.
Written and composed by Akiyoshi, this is a ballad with that touch of country blues as she heartfully sings about not losing hope and gaining reassurance from friends. That titular door can appear and open to new possibilities. Akiyoshi's vocals reminds me a bit of ZARD's singing back in the day.
Akiyoshi began her career in early 1997 and released a total of two albums and seven singles up to 1999. Sadly, she would lose a battle with cancer in September 2004. Although her birth date was never revealed, it's assumed that she passed in her mid-30s.
Thanks for the post, this is Robert.
ReplyDeleteI found a link to all of her singles. Listening to it, it is hit and miss to me. But I really like her voice when it is clicking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLQDD_BiiYs
Funny, one of the comments asked if she was Izumi Sakai, the singer from Zard.
Hi, Robert. Thanks again for the tip. I'm not surprised by the inquiry on whether she was actually Sakai. As well, I think both singers were under the Being label at the time.
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