| BEGIN | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Okinawa, Japan |
| Genres | Ryukyuan music, Japanese pop |
| Years active | 1989 - Present |
| Labels | Imperial Records |
| Website | BEGIN Official Web Site |
| Members | |
| Eishō Higa Masaru Shimabukuro Hitoshi Uechi |
|
| Notable instruments | |
| Acoustic Guitar, Piano | |
Begin (ビギン, IPA: [biɡiɴ], stylized as BEGIN) is a Japanese pop group from Ishigaki Island in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Their sound contains many elements of traditional Ryukyuan folk music, and prominently features the sanshin.
Contents |
The members of Begin – Eishō Higa (比嘉栄昇) (vocals), Masaru Shimabukuro (島袋優) (guitar), and Hitoshi Uechi (上地等) (piano) – are of native Ryukyuan ancestry. They have been friends since elementary school. They also attended the same senior high school but upon graduation all intended to go their separate ways. One day, Eishō gathered the members together again and they began to focus on music. On December 5, 1988, they sang at a friend's wedding, calling themselves "Begin" for the first time. Soon they began to become famous. As of 13 November 2006[update] they have released 22 singles, 24 albums and 8 DVDs. Perhaps their most famous song is "Nada Sōsō", a collaboration between Begin and Ryōko Moriyama. Begin has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. They are also the performers of the "Ichariba Ohana" and "Izayoi Yoi", the opening and first ending themes of the Disney-produced anime series Stitch!.