Cocco | |
---|---|
Birth name | Satoko Makishi 真喜志智子 |
Born | January 19, 1977 |
Origin | Naha, Japan |
Genres | Folk, Pop, Rock |
Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
Years active | 1996–2001 2006- |
Labels | Speedstar Records |
Associated acts | Singer Songer |
Website | www.cocco.co.jp |
Cocco (真喜志 智子 Satoko Makishi , born January 19, 1977 in Naha, Okinawa) is a female Ryukyuan folk rock singer who debuted in 1996 with a self-titled EP titled Cocko. A track from the EP, "Sing a Song ~No Music, No Life~", was used in an advertising campaign for Tower Records Japan. In March 1997, she released her major label debut single "Kauntodaun" ("Countdown") and a full-length album followed shortly after. It was not until 1998 when she scored a big hit in Japan with "Tsuyoku Hakanaimonotachi" ("The Strong and Ephemeral"), selling more than 250,000 copies of that single.
Cocco went on to record three more albums — Kumuiuta in 1998, Rapunzel in 2000, and Sangurōzu in 2001. Before the release of Sangurōzu, Cocco announced she was retiring from the music business. Later that year, her label released a career retrospective, Best + Ura Best + Mihappyōkyokushū, which contained her singles, some b-sides and five unreleased tracks.
Her retirement did not last too long. In 2002, she published her first art book, Minami no Shima no Hoshi no Suna. In August 2003, she organized a benefit concert to raise awareness about cleaning up beaches in Okinawa. A DVD documentary titled Heaven's Hell followed in December.
2004 saw her appearance on the Yutaka Ozaki cover album "BLUE" and the publication of her second book, Minami no Shima no Koi no Uta, which was accompanied by a limited edition single, "Garnet/Celeste Blue". In 2005, Cocco collaborated with photographer/singer nanaco on CD/book combination titled The Bird.
In late 2004, Cocco teamed up with Shigeru Kishida of the Japanese rock group Quruli to re-record "Sing a Song" for Tower Records' 25th Anniversary in Japan. The sessions inspired the formation of Singer Songer, a band featuring Cocco, Kishida, Quruli bassist Masashi Sato, Cornelius support keyboardist Hirohisa Horie and former FEED drummer Dai Taro.
Singer Songer made its live debut as a special guest at Quruli's year-end concert in December 2004, and in May 2005, the band released a single, "Shoka Rinrin". An album, Barairo Pop was released in June 2005. It contains a selection of country-flavored tracks that are much happier than Cocco's previous works.
On July 7, 2007, Cocco performed at the Japanese leg of Live Earth at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba. On August 8, 2010, she appeared at the World Happiness 2010 rock festival in Tokyo.
Contents[hide] |
Year | Album Information | Chart positions [1] |
Total sales [2] |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Bougainvillea (ブーゲンビリア Būgenbiria )
|
33 | 122,000 |
1998 | Kumuiuta (クムイウタ , "Lullaby")
|
1 | 878,000 |
2000 | Rapunzel (ラプンツェル Rapuntseru )
|
1 | 380,000 |
2001 | Sangu Rose (サングローズ , "Coral Rose")
|
5 | 226,000 |
2006 | Zancyan (ザンサイアン , "Mermaid Cyan")
|
3 | 127,000 |
2007 | Kirakira (きらきら , "Sparkling")
|
6 | 91,000 |
2010 | Emerald (エメラルド Emerarudo )
|
5 | 39,000 |
Year | Album Information | Chart positions [1] |
Total sales [2] |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Best + Ura Best + Mihappyōkyokushū (ベスト+裏ベスト+未発表曲集 , "Best, B-side Best and Unreleased Songs Collection")
|
1 | 504,000 |
Year | Title | Notes | Oricon singles charts [1] |
Oricon sales total [2] |
Album |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | "Countdown" (カウントダウン Kauntodaun ) | 98 | 2,200 | Bougainvillea | |
"Tsuyoku Hakanai Monotachi" (強く儚い者たち , "The Strong and Ephemeral") | 18 | 361,000 | Kumuiuta | ||
1998 | "Raining" | 17 | 128,000 | ||
"Kumoji no Hate" (雲路の果て , "End of the Road Through the Clouds") | 6 | 144,000 | Rapunzel | ||
1999 | "Jukai no Ito" (樹海の糸 , "Threads in the Deep Forest") | 3 | 182,000 | ||
"Plumeria" (ポロメリア Poromeria ) | 9 | 97,000 | |||
2000 | "Mizu Kagami" (水鏡 , "Water Reflection") | 10 | 68,000 | ||
"Kemono Michi" (けもの道 , "Animal Trail") | Re-cut single. | 10 | 37,000 | ||
"Hoshi ni Negai o" (星に願いを , "When You Wish Upon a Star") | 25 | 32,000 | Sangu Rose | ||
2001 | "Hane (Lay Down My Arms)" (羽根~lay down my arms~ , "Feathers") | 16 | 38,000 | ||
"Fūka Fūsō" (風化風葬 , "Burial in the Elements") | Okinawa only VHS+8 cm single. | — | — | ||
"Yakeno ga Hara" (焼け野が原 , "Burnt Field") | Released on same day as Sangu Rose. | 12 | 55,000 | ||
2006 | "Onsoku Punch" (音速パンチ , "Speed of Sound Punch") | 5 | 80,000 | Zancyan | |
"Hi no Teri Nagara Ame no Furu" (陽の照りながら雨の降る , "Rain Falls While the Sun Shines") | 4 | 48,000 | |||
2007 | "Dugong no Mieru Oka" (ジュゴンの見える丘 , "Hill of Dugongs") | September Okinawan release, November all-Japan release. | 14 | 32,000 | — |
2009 | "Cocco-san no Daidokoro CD" (こっこさんの台所CD , "Cocco's Kitchen CD") | Four season-themed EP with lead track "Kinuzure." | 6 | 18,000 | Emerald |
2010 | "Nirai Kanai" | 20 | 12,000 |
Year | Album Information |
---|---|
2001 | Otanoshimi Hizō Video + Zen Single Clip = Kei Jū Roku Kyokushū (お楽しみ秘蔵ビデオ+全シングルクリップ=計16曲集 , "Pleasure Treasure Video + All Single Clips = 16 Planned Song Collection")
|
2003 | Heaven's Hell
|
2009 | Daijōbu de Aru Yōni: Cocco Owaranai Tabi (大丈夫であるように -Cocco 終らない旅- , "So I Can Be Alright: Cocco's Endless Journey")
|