SAWA

Stage Name : SAWA(サワ)
Born : November 6
Origin : Japan
Genres : Electropop
Occupations : Singer, songwriter
Years active : 2005 – present
Labels : Front Men Entertainment (2005-2006)
Cyclops (2008-2009)
Wint (2008-2009)
Epic Records Japan (2009-present)
Associated acts : Takeshi Hanzawa, Ram Rider, Ryukyudisko

SAWA is a Japanese electro-pop singer from a suburb outside Tokyo. Since entering the music industry in 2006 she has released five mini-albums, two releases a year since 2008, with the latest one Ai ni Iku yo being released on April 7th, 2010. She is a part of the NEWCOME entertainment offices, part of Sony Music Artists Inc. (SMA), and is signed to the Sony Music Entertainment sub-label EPIC Records.

Information

SAWA lives in the suburbs, about one hour from Tokyo. Her mother made the pitch-perfect girl pick up the violin at the tender age of four, and by age 10, she took up the piano out of her own will. Later, influenced by favorite artists such as m-flo, Jazztronik and FreeTEMPO, she began writing and performing music based on club music. At the same time, she proceeded to college to make her childhood dream come true – to become a teacher. She acquired the license for a high school English teacher, and taught at a local high school, although only for three months.

SAWA seized the chance in 2006, when she participated in a club event in Yokohama that she thought was an audition (which wasn't one). Her transparent yet characteristic, miraculous voice, as well as her fresh and cute presence that has never been seen in other club music singers in the past, she caught the attention of many music creators. During this time SAWA began working with Front Men Entertainment under the name SK-V. Through the partnership this name changed from SK-V to SK5 and finally to KOUCHI. Titles thought to have been recorded under this label are: "Sakamichi", "Merry-Go-Round", "talking", "happiness", and "In The Music".

On May 1st, 2008 she participated as the vocalist in "Discovery", produced by Yukihiro Fukutomi. The song was used as the opening theme song of PSP game Nippon no Asoko de. One month later, on June 18th, she made her indies debut with COLORS, a mini-album produced by Hanzawa Takeshi (FreeTEMPO). It debuted at #8 on the Japanese iTunes Store's albums chart. It has also stayed in the top 3 for three weeks since release in the dance music chart, already showing signs of a major breakout.

In the following year, SAWA made her major label debut through Sony Music Entertainment's sub-label, EPIC Records, with the mini-album I Can Fly on July 22nd. Her second mini-album of 2009 titled Swimming Dancing was released on November 25th. I Can Fly had commercial tie-ins to the MBS TV fashion program DRESS as well as a summer commercial for Honda. SAWA's first release of 2010, a mini-album called Ai ni Iku yo is set to be released on April 7th, 2010. This release will see her working with producers Hisashi Nawata, Jazzin'park, Ookubo Jun'ya (ANA) and RAM RIDER.