Machiko Watanabe

Overview

Machiko Watanabe (渡辺真知子, born 23 October 1956 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and radio personality. She debuted in 1977 on CBS/Sony and became one of the key figures of the late-1970s New Music boom. Trained as a vocalist, she is known for a rich, powerful voice and melodies that are bright yet tinged with melancholy. Her signature song, "Kamome ga Tonda Hi" (The Day the Seagull Flew Away), earned her the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist.

Career

• 1975: Won a special prize at the 9th Yamaha Popular Song Contest with "Orgel no Koiuta".
• 1977: Graduated from Senzoku Gakuen Junior College (vocal music) and debuted on 1 November with the single "Mayoimichi" (Wandering Road), which sold 800,000 copies.
• 1978: Released "Kamome ga Tonda Hi" on 21 April; it became a major hit and won the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist and 13 music festival prizes in total. She followed with "Blue" in August and made her first appearance on the 29th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.
• 1979: Released "Tatoeba... Tatoeba" and "Wakarete Soshite", appeared again on Kohaku, and performed at Italy's Sanremo Music Festival.
• 1980: "Kuchibiru yo, Atsuku Kimi o Katare" became a hit as a commercial song for Kanebo's LADY 80 lipstick.
• 1982: Won the composition prize at the 11th Tokyo Music Festival (domestic competition) with "Suki to Itte".
• 1984: Made her film debut in "Main Theme".
• 1988: Released "Aishu Traveler"; that year she travelled to Arizona and returned in April 1989, then performed at the Yokohama Exposition (YES'89).
• 1990: Released her 12th original album "TAHIBALI", exploring jazz- and fusion-influenced multinational sounds.
• 1996: Joined Nettai JAZZ Orchestra as resident vocalist, beginning her jazz-singing activities.
• 1997-1998: Marked her 20th debut anniversary and released her first live album in August 1998.
• 2000: Released the best album "2000 BEST".
• 2002: Released the 25th-anniversary best album "Taisetsu na Junban Special Best" and toured 25 venues nationwide. In 2006 she was appointed a Yokosuka Ambassador.
• 2007: For her 30th anniversary, released "Kamome 30 Umi kara no Message" on 14 February, including the new song "Soredemo I love you". That year "Kamome ga Tonda Hi" was also adopted as a cheer song for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
• 2008: Released the single "Iroiro na Shiro" and her first live DVD.
• 2010: Founded her own agency, Kamome Music.
• 2012-2013: Released the 35th-anniversary album "Ude no Naka no Smile" (2012). In 2013 four early albums, including "Umi ni Tsurete itte" and "Fog Lamp", were reissued on Blu-spec CD2; she received the Good Ager Award, and "Shimauma to Lion" was featured on NHK's Minna no Uta.
• 2017-2018: Held a 40th-anniversary concert tour and released the album "Watashi wa Wasurenai" on 10 January 2018.
• 2019: Guest-appeared in Miyuki Nakajima's "Yakai Vol.20".
• 2020: Released the self-cover album "Ashita e" on 8 July.

Musical Style

Watanabe is known for New Music singles that richly incorporate kayokyoku elements; her early arrangements were handled by Motoki Funayama. Her lyrics and album titles frequently draw on her hometown of Yokosuka, the sea and harbor scenery. From the 1990s she also embraced jazz and fusion.