Mari Iijima
| Mari Iijima 飯島 真理 | |
|---|---|
 Mari Iijima in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | May 18, 1963 |
| Origin | Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan |
| Genres | J-Pop, Pop, Synthpop |
| Occupations | Singer, Songwriter |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | Marimusic/BounDee |
| Website | Official Website |
Mari Iijima (飯島 真理 Iijima Mari, born May 18, 1963 in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan) is a Japanese singer-songwriter who has released over 20 original albums to date. She writes and produces most of her own music, is a multi-instrumentalist, and is an accomplished piano player. After being signed to JVC Victor in 1982, Mari first became known for her voice-acting role as Lynn Minmay in the anime Macross. Her debut original album Rosé was released in 1983, which was produced by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. She also later collaborated with other world-renowned musicians, such as Van Dyke Parks. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Biography
Mari's original demo tape was picked up by JVC Victor in 1982 and she was signed to the record company as a singer-songwriter. Soon afterward, she was asked to audition for the role of Lynn Minmay in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross by the label and the producers chose her to play the role. The series quickly became a mega hit and brought Mari to stardom. Her debut album Rosé, containing no Macross tracks, had lyrics and music written by Mari. It debuted at #10 on the charts in September 1983 and she started her career as a singer & songwriter with success.[1]
Mari eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to expand her music career. After releasing her first independent (and the first English language) album No Limit, she was nominated for the 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards' Best Pop Artist for the particular album and she was in the final 4 for the award.
She entered the 50th Grammy Awards with Swim, a track from her 2006 album Uncompromising Innocence. Her listed entries are for the "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" category (entry#55) and the "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)" category (entry#175).
In 2006, she reprised her role as Lynn Minmay in ADV Films' English-language release of Macross.[2] which made her the first actor to play the original role in both Japanese and English languages for an entire anime series.
Iijima released her twenty-first studio album, called Echo, in August 2009. The title was taken from the nymph character Echo that appears in Echo and Narcissus. The album's theme is unrequited love.[3]
She most recently released her new album, Take A Picture Against The Light at the end of 2012, and she will be performing at her concert "Amongst The Mist" in Tokyo, Japan summer 2013.
Discography
Original Albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Rosé |
| 1984 | Blanche |
| 1985 | Midori |
| 1985 | Kimono Stereo |
| 1987 | Coquettish Blue |
| 1988 | Miss Lemon |
| 1989 | My Heart in Red |
| 1990 | It's a Love Thing |
| 1991 | Believe |
| 1993 | Different Worlds |
| 1994 | Love Season |
| 1995 | Sonic Boom |
| 1996 | Good Medicine |
| 1997 | Europe |
| 1998 | Rain & Shine |
| 1999 | No Limit |
| 2001 | Right Now |
| 2003 | Silent Love |
| 2004 | Wonderful People |
| 2006 | Uncompromising Innocence |
| 2009 | Echo |
| 2012 | Take A Picture Against The Light |
Best Of Albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Variée |
| 1993 | The Classics |
| 1995 | Best of the Best |
| 2005 | Mari picks "The Ultimate Collection" (1983-1985) |
| 2005 | Mari picks "The Ultimate Collection" (1987-1999) |
| 2004 | Gems |
| 2007 | palette |
Singles
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Yumeiro no Spoon |
| Kitto Ieru | |
| 1984 | Ai Oboete Imasu ka |
| 1 gram no Shiawase | |
| 1985 | Cecile no Amagasa |
| 1986 | Harukana Hohoemi -Kodou Kougen- |
| 1987 | People! People! People! |
| 1988 | Kagami yo! Kagami (I wanna marry you) |
| Blue Christmas | |
| 1989 | Still |
| Secret | |
| 1990 | Nichiyoubi Date |
| Sayonara Ienai | |
| Bokura wa Tenshi ja Nai | |
| 1991 | Love is a miracle |
| 1992 | Ki・ra・i |
| 1993 | Ai Oboete Imasu ka (re-release) |
| 1994 | Don't fade out! |
| 1995 | Is There Anybody Out There? |
| 1996 | Forever Young |
| 1997 | Mikazuki no Canoe |
| Friends | |
| 2002 | Eternal love ~Hikari no Tenshi~ |
| 2003 | Eternal love 2003 |
| 2009 | Iki wo Shiteru Kanjiteiru |
| 2012 | Churiru Churira/Anata No Hana Ni Naritai/The Unconventional |
| 2013 | Eternal Forest |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Super Dimension Fortress Macross | Lynn Minmay | Voice actress and singer |
| 1984 | Macross: Do You Remember Love? | Lynn Minmay | Voice actress, singer, and songwriter for "Tenshi no Enogu" |
| 1999 | Pacific Blue | Kiko | Season 5 - episode 12 "God's Gift" |
| 2001 | Spyder Games | Soraya | Episodes 1&2 |
| 2001 | Lorna Doone | Composer | (2001 re-release of 1922 film) |
| 2004 | Green Tea-r | Yoko | Lead actress and songwriter |
| 2006 | The Super Dimension Fortress Macross | Lynn Minmay[2] | ADV Films' 2006 English Dub |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Galaxy Angel | Theme song performance | "Eternal love ~Hikari no Tenshi~", "Tenshi-tachi no Kyuusoku" |
| 2003 | Galaxy Angel: Moonlight Lovers | Theme song performance | "Eternal love 2003", "Tenshi-tachi no Kyuusoku" |
| 2004 | Cy-Girls | Aska (voice) | |
| 2013 | Macross 30: The Voice that Connects the Galaxy | Lynn Minmay |
References
- ↑ "Anime Idol". LA Weekly People Issue 2011. LA Weekly. 2011-05-19. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 ADV Films Official Macross English Dub Page.English/Japanese Cast Information. 04-09-09
- ↑ "Mari Iijima Interview". J-Pop World. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mari Iijima. |
- Official website
- Mari Iijima's channel on YouTube
- Mari Iijima on Facebook
- Mari Iijima on Twitter
- Interview with LA Weekly
- Mari Iijima convention appearances on AnimeCons.com
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