Rina Chinen

Rina Chinen (知念 里奈, born February 9, 1981) is a female Japanese entertainer, former singer, model and TV actress. Rina was born in Naha, Okinawa. Rina was trained in dance and song at the Okinawa Actors School, whose graduates include Namie Amuro and Speed.

Music career

Debuting in 1996 with the Single "Do-Do for Me", Rina's career transitioned through bouncy pop songs and ballads to rock and then R&B. Rina had a powerful and versatile voice and could deliver powerful rock ballads such as "In Your Eyes", hard rock "Yes!" or bouncy pop-cum-dance "Baby Love". Her voice is at its best when she sings at lower, throaty pitches. Some earlier songs such as "God Bless the World" and "Wing" sung in a high-pitched voice, perhaps in an attempt to come across as cutesy, are not so pleasant to the ear. Although there are many high-pitched singers in Japan, in Rina's case this tended to polarise listeners in a way seldom seem.,^[1] The songs were hits nonetheless. Like other Okinawa Actors School alumni, she is an accomplished dancer.

Her last album "Breath" was released in 2001. This took on a more R&B flavour which Rina said on her Sony homepage was more to her interests.^[2] At this point her music career seems to have stalled. Unlike her earlier albums, this one was not well promoted. Rina made only a few media appearances.^[3] This is telling because unlike MTV in the US, in Japan the record companies decide who appears on the TV shows. The career of most J-Pop Idols are brutally short; Idols are developed, heavily promoted and subsequently dropped in favour of new acts. At five years Rina lasted longer than most. Departing idols go when told and go quietly. The latter part of an Idol's career receives little or usually no coverage in the press.^[4] Indeed as the case of Ami Suzuki demonstrated, idols who dare take on the industry are savaged.

Rina spent the early years of her singing career doubling as on-air talent for the Yoru mo Hippare TV show. Hippare did give Rina a chance to sing a wider range of songs, and show the public what a capable voice she actually has. She subsequently dropped off the musical radar. Reportedly her record contract with Sony was not renewed following the "Breath" album. Although SONY Music continues to host her home page, it has not been updated since 2001. Her Sony blog was last updated 2003.^[5]

Drama actress

In 2002 Rina appeared in the Japanese TV Drama Yume no California (夢のカリフォルニア — literally, California of the dream — also known as California Dreamin). She subsequently moved to another drama, Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho (こちら本池上署, Central Ikegami Police) and was with the successful show for its entire five season run.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, she appeared^[6] in the Tokyo production of Les Misérables, She was Cosette in 2005, Then She had done Eponine from 2007 till 2009 and Is currently is Fantine for 2011 onwards,.^[7] She is also currently doing the role of Kim in Miss Saigon on 2004 onwards along with Rena Sasamoto (2004 onwards), Natsumi Kon (for 2014 onwards) Seiko Niizuma (who only did Kim till 2004 till 2012), Takako Matsu (only for 2004) and Sonim (for 2007 till 2009)

Marriage

On August 10, 2005 Rina at age 24 registered her marriage to model Kentaro Kakamura age 22. The couple were expecting a child at the time she was cast in the December musical "Jekyll and Hyde". Her part was consequently reassigned to Ranran Suzuki. Rina announced she planned on taking maternity leave after the drama finished its season, and will continue working after becoming a mother.^[8]

Rina at age 25 gave birth to a baby boy on March 14, 2006,^[9] and got a divorce on March 15, 2007.^[10]

Discography

Singles

• 'DO-DO FOR ME' (21 October 1996)
• 'precious delicious' (31 March 1997)
• 'PINCH -Love Me Deeper-' (18 September 1997)
• 'Break out Emotion' (28 January 1998)
• 'Wing' (15 April 1998)
• 'Be yourself' (15 July 1998)
• 'YES' (13 January 1999)
• 'GOD BLESS THE WORLD' (31 March 1999)
• 'Be proud' (23 June 1999)
• 'IN YOUR EYES' (29 September 1999)
• 'Baby Love' (9 February 2000)
• 'Love, make together' (20 September 2000)
• 'CLUB ZIPANGU' (15 November 2000) -- adapted from Ricky Martin's "She Bangs"
• 'Just Believe' (6 December 2000)
• 'Love you close' (7 March 2001)

Albums

• Growing (10 June 1998)
• Passage -Best Collection- (23 March 2000)
• breath (4 July 2001)

DVD

• Plain VIDEO CLIPS (19 September 1998)
• Rina Clips 98-00 (29 March 2000)

Video

• Plain VIDEO CLIPS (29 July 1998)
• Rina Chinen Growing Tour 1999 (14 July 1999)
• Rina Clips 98-00 (29 March 2000)

References

External links

• Chinen Rina Official Website
• Rina Chinen at the Internet Movie Database
• Chinen Rina Japanese Blog at SONY (last entry 13 August 2003)
• Essay written at end of Rina's Music Career
• Review of 'Breath'
• Review of 'Breath'
• Rina Actress Profile - jdorama.com