Anza (singer)

Anza

Anza with Head Phones President at
Japan Expo Sud 2011 in France
Background information
Native name 大山 アンザ
Born May 4, 1976
Ōmura, Nagasaki, Japan
Origin Tōkai, Aichi, Japan
Genres Rock, pop, experimental metal, alternative metal, musical theatre
Occupation(s) Musician, stage actress, actress
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1992–present
Labels Sony, Victor, Universal
Associated acts Head Phones President, Vitamin-Q, Moon Lips, Sera Myu, Momo, Sakurakko Club
Website www.anza.jp

Anza Ohyama (大山 アンザ Ōyama Anza, born May 4, 1976) or simply Anza (stylized as ANZA), is a Japanese singer and actress. She is best known as vocalist of the metal group Head Phones President and for playing Sailor Moon in thirteen separate musical productions. She was born to a Japanese father and a White South African mother.[1]

Music career

Anza made her music debut in 1992 as a member of the pop idol group Sakurakko Club, and released a number of singles with them.[2] She and Ayako Morino, also of Sakurakko Club fame, were in a spin-off duo called Momo.[2] They released two singles in 1993 and 1994.

With Anza joining the Sailor Moon musicals in 1993, she appeared regularly on the CD releases for the musicals, both in solo and group songs. From her five-year period as Sailor Moon, she can be heard on the "La Soldier" single (released prior to the very first musical), the first five Memorial Album of the Musical releases, as well as three of the eight compilation albums which have been released since Sera Myu's conception.

In 1994, Moon Lips, a group of Sera Myu actresses including Anza, provided vocals for the Sailor Moon theme song "Moonlight Densetsu" which was used for that show's third and fourth seasons (Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon Super S, respectively).

Shortly following her graduation from the Sailor Moon musicals in 1998, she released a solo single entitled "Dream" under the Sony Music Entertainment Japan record label. "Dream" was also featured as the ending theme song for the TV show Famitsu Wave. In April 1999, she released "Tobira wo Akete" (under Victor Entertainment), a single which was used as a theme song for the anime Cardcaptor Sakura. In September 1999, Anza provided vocals for "Ai wo Shizumeteru", the ending theme song to the PlayStation game Psychic Force 2. Another of her songs, "Mienai Chizu", was used as an insert song in episode 68 of Cardcaptor Sakura.

Anza with Head Phones President in New York City 2010

In 1999, Anza went in a completely different direction with her music. She formed Head Phones President with brothers Hiro and Mar, who previously helped her on her solo work.[1][2] They are a heavy metal band, with occasional harsh, screamed vocals interspersed with soft melodic singing. Anza is often introduced as being on "vocals and visuals". They have referred to their music as "'negative', due to their emotional lyrics that stem from traumatic experiences, [but] believe their music expresses their struggles in a hopeful manner."[2] A lot of the lyrics come from Anza; the song "Alienblood" represents her own troubles growing up in Japan as mixed race.[2]

In 2003, Toho recorded four of its Les Misérables musicals live, and they released four double-disc albums (available only by special order directly from Toho). Anza appears on the light blue album with Kazutaka Ishii as Jean Valjean.

In 2006, Anza was signed onto the Universal Music Japan and released her debut single with them: "Kanata e". It was used as the second ending theme song for the anime Glass no Kantai.[3]

In late 2008, she joined the rock band Vitamin-Q along with Masami Tsuchiya, Kazuhiko Kato, Gota Yashiki and Rei Ohara. However, after Kato's suicide on October 17, 2009, the group ceased activity.

In 2011, Anza started a webshop in collaboration with Riho, "Raz -Rabbit" is a shop of clothes and accessories.[4]

On May 1, 2011, Anza performed a solo show in support of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami victims. At the show, nominated "Anza's Box", she sang songs from musicals SeraMyu, Gift, Les Misérables, beyond musics from solo career and participation of Iwana Misako (from SeraMyu), Manabu Oda (from musical Gift) and her band Head Phones President.

On December 24, 2011 Anza performed on "Live & Cafe Bar Rocky", in Tokyo, the solo show "Anza Xmas Live". The show had participation of Tomo (key), Hiro (guitar), Norio Yoshida (bass), Sakaguchi Masaru (percussion) and Maddie as a special guest. In addition to the songs from the previous show, she sang Christmas songs dressed in Santa Claus costume.

In late 2012, Anza was featured on the song "Unmei no Megami" from the group Dragon Guardian, at the album The Best of Dragon Guardian Saga.

Since 2013 Anza has performed as a DJ sporadically, alone or with her band mate Narumi.

On May 24, 2014 Anza celebrated her 22 years of career in the show "Anza Solo Live" with participation of musicians Kato Tomoko, HIRO and Sakaguchi Masaru, in addition to special guests Okuyama Momoko, Iwana Misako (formerly Kotani Misako), Oda Manabu, Haruka (Rouse Garden) and Fujiwara Yuki. On sale at the concert had a small "ANZA BOOK" celebrating her 22-year career's day and a new T-shirt designed by Anza’s collaboration brand RAZ.

Stage career

Anza has performed in a number of stage productions, the majority of which being musicals. Her first major production was as the leading role of Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon musicals, commonly known as Sera Myu. She is one of the longest-running cast members to ever perform in the Sailor Moon musicals, and is the longest-running Sailor Moon to date. She held the role for five years performing in thirteen separate productions between 1993 and 1998.[5]

Nearing the end of her stretch as Sailor Moon, she also performed in a musical called 2050-nen no Aoi Shima between 1997 and 1998. Chiruchiru was the name of her character. In 2000, she broke off from the musical scene in a Japanese stage production of Mr. Holland's Opus. Similarly, in 2002, she was in a Japanese stage production of When Harry Met Sally....

In 2003, Anza returned to doing musicals by taking on the role of Eponine in several Toho productions of Les Misérables through till 2006. In 2004, Anza appeared as Ellen in one production of Miss Saigon (also produced by Toho) as well as a Japanese adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters in the role of Irina.

She also appeared in Vamps' 2009 music video for their cover of Shampoo's "Trouble".

Preceded by
N/A		 Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon musicals
1993-1998 		Succeeded by
Fumina Hara

Discography

Solo
With Sakurakko Club Sakura-gumi
With Momo
With SeraMyu
With Head Phones President

See Head Phones President discography

With Vitamin-Q
Other

Musicals

Anza performed as Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon in the following musicals:

As herself/guest
Other musicals

Filmography

Photobooks

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Interview with HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Heavy Metal in Stereo". asiapacificarts.usc.edu. 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  3. ↑ Universal Japan profile Retrieved Nov 09 2007
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Sera Myu website Retrieved Nov 09 2007

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Head Phones President.