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Saori Minami

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Saori Minami
南みなみ 沙織さおり
Birth nameAkemi Uchima (内間うちま 明美あけみ)
Also known asCynthia
Born (1954-07-02) July 2, 1954 (age 70)
Kadena, Okinawa, USCAR
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active
    • 1971–1978
    • 1991–1997
LabelsCBS Sony
Spouse
​
(m. 1979)​

Saori Minami (南みなみ 沙織さおり, Minami Saori) (real name Akemi Shinoyama (篠山しのやま 明美あけみ), née Akemi Uchima (内間うちま 明美あけみ); Christian name Cynthia) is a Japanese retired J-pop singer-songwriter. She was born in Okinawa on July 2, 1954. In the 1970s, and for about 6 years in 1991–1997 she was active as a pop musical idol.

Biography

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Minami debuted with the single "17-sai" ("17 Years Old") in the summer of 1971. The song reached the No. 2 position on the Oricon chart list. It was the 11th best selling single of 1971 in Japan and catapulted her into stardom.[1][2] The song came about after composer Kyōhei Tsutsumi asked Minami what her favourite song was, Minami replied with "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson and so Tsutsumi based "17-sai" on that song.[3]

Together with fellow Japanese female entertainers Rumiko Koyanagi and Mari Amachi, Minami laid the foundations of the modern Japanese idol.[4] Minami, Koyanagi and Amachi were dubbed "The Three Girls" (三さん人にん娘むすめ, San nin musume).[5][6] Before them, Hibari Misora, Chiemi Eri, and Izumi Yukimura were promoted in the same fashion.[7] In 1973, Amachi, Koyanagi, and Minami were followed by Momoe Yamaguchi, Junko Sakurada and Masako Mori, who were known as "The Trio of Third-Year Middle School Blossoms" [ja].[5]

Following the success of "17-sai", Minami was nominated for Best Newcomer of the Year at the 13th Japan Record Awards, but lost the title to Rumiko Koyanagi.[8] She was invited to perform "17-sai" on the 22nd edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen and eventually made 8 appearances on the show.[9]

The two singles that followed "17-sai", "Shiokaze no Melody" (Melody of the Seabreeze) and "Tomodachi" (Friends), both reached the Oricon top 10.[10][11] In the summer of 1972, "Junketsu" (Chastity) reached the #3 position on the Oricon charts and became one of her most successful singles.[12] Its follow up, "Aishu no Page" (A Page Full of Sorrow), reached the same position and featured an intro spoken in English.[13] In the spring of 1973 "Kizutsuku Sedai" (Wounded Generation) was released, a single with Rock 'N' Roll influences which cracked the top 5.[14] In the summer of that same year "Irozuku Machi" (Painted City) became one of her biggest successes and, according to Minami herself, "[was] one of my most representative songs".[15] She continued to release popular singles throughout the 1970s (most notably "Hito Kakera No Junjou" (A Little Naive) and "Hito Koishi Kute" (A Wonderful Person).[16]

Minami retired from show business in 1978. She reappeared for a few mini-CD singles and live performances from 1991–1997, before returning to retirement.

Personal life

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Minami is married to photographer Kishin Shinoyama, and has a son, Akinobu Shinoyama. She took English classes at Sophia University, and in her performing years, she sang many folk/pop songs in English, and at one point travelled to Los Angeles, California to record her album Cynthia Street. At the time, Minami had strict coaching to improve her diction in English, which she was speaking at an intermediate level. In addition to English, Minami also learned to speak Spanish at an intermediate level.

Minami is a Roman Catholic, and at times during her singing career was also billed by her baptismal name Cynthia.

Partial discography

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Singles

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# Title Release Date/Chart Position
1 17-sai (Jūnana-sai) (17才さい, Seventeen Years Old)
Debut single and biggest hit		 1971-06-01 (#2)
2 Shiokaze no MELODY (潮風しおかぜのメロディ, Melody of the Seabreeze) 1971-10-01 (#7)
3 Tomodachi (ともだち, Friends) 1972-02-01 (#7)
4 Junketsu (純潔じゅんけつ, Chastity) 1972-06-01 (#3)
5 Aishuu No PAGE (哀愁あいしゅうのページ, A Page Full of Sorrow)
 1972-09-21 (#3)
6 Soushun No Minato (早春そうしゅんの港みなと, Harbour in the Early Spring) 1973-01-23 (#11)
7 Kizutsuku Sedai (傷きずつく世代せだい, Wounded Generation) 1973-05-01 (#3)
8 Irozuku Machi (色いろづく街まち, A Painted City)
 1973-08-21 (#4)
9 Hito Kakera No Junjou (ひとかけらの純情じゅんじょう, A Little Naive) 1973-12-05 (#8)
10 Bara No Kageri (バラのかげり, Total Eclipse of the Rose) 1974-03-21 (#15)
11 Natsu No Kanjou (夏なつの感情かんじょう, Summer Feelings) 1974-06-21 (#16)
12 Yogiri No Machi (夜霧よぎりの街まち, The City of the Mist) 1974-09-21 (#17)
13 Hito Koishi Kute (人恋ひとこいしくて, A Wonderful Person) 1975-08-01 (#8)
14 Hitonemuri (ひとねむり, Sleeping People) 1975-11-21 (#27)
15 Kiga Mukeba Denwa Shite (気きがむけば電話でんわして, Call Me When You Get That Feeling)
 1976-03-01 (#29)
16 Kanashii Yousei (哀かなしい妖精ようせい, The Sad Fairy) 1976-09-1 (#20)
17 Machikado No LOVE SONG (街角まちかどのラブソング, A Street Love Song) 1977-07-21 (#36)
18 Haru No Yokan ~I'VE BEEN MELLOW~ (気きがむけば電話でんわして, Premonition of the Spring)
 1978-01-21 (#25)
19 GOODBYE GIRL (グッバイガール) 1978-10-21 (#-)

Studio albums

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# Title Release Date/Chart Position
1 17sai (17才さい)
Debut album		 1971-10-01 (#8)
2 Junketsu/Tomodachi (純潔じゅんけつ／ともだち) 1972-06-21 (#2)
3 Aishuu No PAGE (哀愁あいしゅうのページ) 1972-09-21 (#4)
4 Kizutsuku Sedai (傷きずつく世代せだい) 1973-05-21 (#9)
5 Hatachi Mae (20才さいまえ) 1973-09-21 (#5)
6 Hito Kakera no Junjou (ひとかけらの純情じゅんじょう) 1974-02-21 (#6)
7 Natsu No Kanjou (夏なつの感情かんじょう)
 1974-07-21 (#7)
8 Nin Koishi Kute (人恋ひとこいしくて) 1975-12-05 (#19)
9 Sugao No Mama De (素顔すがおのままで)
 1976-04-21 (#20)
10 Kanashii Yousei (哀かなしい妖精ようせい) 1976-09-21 (#19)
11 HELLO! CYNTHIA (-) 1977-08-21 (#29)
12 SIMPLICITY (-) 1978-10-01 (#37)

EPs

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# Title Release Date
1 CYNTHIA no Christmas (シンシアのクリスマス)
 1975-11-21

Live albums

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# Title Release Date/Chart Position
1 CYNTHIA IN CONCERT (-)
First live album		 1974-09-01 (#5)
2 SAORI ON STAGE (潮風しおかぜのメロディ) 1977-12-05 (#74)
3 Sayonara CYNTHIA (さよならシンシア)
Goodbye concert		 1978-12-05 (#-)

Compilations

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# Title Release Date/Chart Position
1 Minami Saori Pops Wo Utau (南みなみ沙織さおり ポップスを歌うたう)
First best of album		 1975-02-21 (#40)
2 Minami Saori No Subete (南みなみ沙織さおりのすべて) 1983-11-05 (#-)
3 Minami Saori BEST SELECTION (ベスト・コレクション 南みなみ沙織さおり) 1986-05-21 (#-)
4 Minami Saori BEST RECALL ~28 SINGLES SAORI +1~ (-) 1992-02-21 (#-)
5 Cynthia BEST ~ ETERNITY (-)
 1996-06-21 (#-)
6 DREAM PRICE 1000 Minami Saori Iro Zuku Machi (DREAM PRICE 1000 南みなみ沙織さおり 色いろづく街まち) 2001-10-11 (#-)
7 GOLDEN BEST Minami Saori Tsutsumi Kyouhei wo Utau (GOLDEN☆BEST 南みなみ沙織さおり 筒美つつみ京平きょうへいを歌うたう)
 2002-06-19 (#-)
8 Minami Saori THE BEST ~Cynthia-ly (南みなみ沙織さおり THE BEST 〜 Cynthia-ly) 2003-11-19 (#-)
9 Minami Saori BEST OF BEST (南みなみ沙織さおり BEST OF BEST) 2006-09-21 (#-)

References

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  1. ^ 長田ながた美穂みほ「スターに愛あいされたガサコの編集へんしゅう者しゃ人生じんせい」『新潮しんちょう45』2008年ねん2月がつ号ごう、新潮社しんちょうしゃ。
  2. ^ Kase, Kimio (2005). Transformational CEOs: Leadership and Management Success in Japan. Edward Elgar. p. 163. ISBN 1-84542-046-2.
  3. ^ デビュー30周年しゅうねん記念きねんメモリアル特別とくべつ企画きかくCD-BOX『 CYNTHIA ANTHOLOGY 』（2000.6.7、ソニーレコード）封入ふうにゅう解説かいせつ書しょ参照さんしょう。
  4. ^ ^ ベスト・アルバム 『 GOLDEN J-POP/THE BEST 南みなみ沙織さおり 』（1998.11.21、ソニーレコード） ライナーノーツより。
  5. ^ a b Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture. M.E. Sharpe. p. 317. ISBN 0-7656-0561-9.
  6. ^ Aoyagi, Hiroshi. Island Of Eight Million Smiles. p. 6 & 130.
  7. ^ "Hara, 82, to hang up saxophone". The Japan Times. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  8. ^ "Rumiko Koyanagi profile at Kouenirai" (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Official NHK site detailing the Kohaku Uta Gassen" (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  10. ^ Billboard Magazine, December 1971. 18 December 1971. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  11. ^ Billboard Magazine, April 1972. 8 April 1972. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  12. ^ Billboard Magazine, July 1972. 8 July 1972. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  13. ^ Billboard Magazine, November 1972. 18 November 1972. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  14. ^ Billboard Magazine, July 1973. 7 July 1973. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  15. ^ ^ 歌手かしゅデビュー35周年しゅうねん記念きねん商品しょうひんCD-BOX『 Cynthia Premium 』（2000.6.14、ソニーレコード）封入ふうにゅうのDVDパッケージより。
  16. ^ Billboard Magazine, February 1974. 9 February 1974. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
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