Suzi Kim -- Maloa（マロア）

 

Several weeks ago, I wrote about an old Fuji-TV program known as "Wordsworth no Bouken"（ワーズワースの冒険...The Adventures of Wordsworth） which dealt in providing viewers about some of the more mature and refined hobbies out there. It lasted about four years and had a parade of celebrities helping out in the delivery such as actress Rie Miyazawa（宮沢りえ）above.

Now, the original theme song that was used with "Wordsworth no Bouken" was the fantastical and mysterious "Sha Rion"（シャ・リオン）as recorded by the late Eri Kawai（河井英里）and created by Michiru Oshima（大島ミチル）. I think that was also the theme song that everyone still knows the show by, but apparently (and this doesn't show up on the J-Wiki article for the program), in 1997, which was its final year, Oshima concocted a new theme titled "Maloa" (or "Maroa") according to the brief explanation for the YouTube video. Sung by Suzi Kim（スージーキム）this time, it's quite the perky Latin jazz tune that could tempt viewers to book that vacation to Brazil.

Suzi Kim is someone whose name that I've heard from time to time when it comes to Japanese music, but the only information that I could dig up so far on her was located at the website for the Zaza Voice Training School where I gather that she is an instructor. After studying in the United States, she returned to Japan where she provided backup chorus to singers such as Masaki Ueda（上田正樹）and Takuro Yoshida（吉田拓郎）. She also started up the Royal Funk Band in 1996 which is still performing today, but she has done DJ duties on radio and has participated in commercials.