Calin -- Tomodachi no Samba（ともだちのサンバ）

 

Once again, I meet up with a singer who doesn't have a lot of information online backing her up aside from her name: Calin. But she did make her debut in 1996 with the (probably one-and-only) album "Teen Tonic" and one of the tracks is "Tomodachi no Samba" (A Friend's Samba). Although the producer was Yukihiro Fukutomi（福富幸宏）, the biggest name here is Shibuya-kei king Fantastic Plastic Machine who came up with the words, music and swift arrangement, and yep, it's Shibuya-kei in spades including that "dabadaba" vocal effect which I've heard in one 1960s novelty song. Calin herself is kept on her toes with her mixture of scatting and light and dainty singing.

"Teen Tonic" is available on iTunes. The only significant comment on the album is that Fukutomi had invited a number of guests including Swedish producer Tore Johansson aboard the production of the album (and the following year, he would help out one other more well-known singer), and the commenter was wondering aloud whether the producer had been going for his own Pizzicato Five with Calin. I wonder myself but if any of you have any other information on her, please let us know.