Namie Amuro ( = 奈 美 恵 > , born September 20, 1977 in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan ) , is a famous J-pop / RnB singer in Asia, former actress and Japanese idolist in the 1990s.
She started in 1992 in the group of idols Super Monkey's as lead singer, without much success. After several changes of names and formations of the group, and some roles in series and TV shows, Amuro gets noticed by the star producer Tetsuya Komuro and leaves the band in 1995 to start a career in solo, the other members continuing under the MAX name, all with great success. Amuro became the undisputed star of J-pop and a model for young Japanese, before a break in 1998 to get married and give birth, and the advent of other artists like Ayumi Hamasaki and Hikaru Utada. After a slump and participation in the Chic Suite project, she returned to the top in the mid-2000s in a new style plus R'n'B. His 1997 tube Can You Celebrate? composed by Tetsuya Komuro is one of the favorite songs of Japanese and one of the most played in karaoke and at weddings. She ends her singing activities on September 15, 2018 after a final concert at the Okinawa Convention Center in Ginowan, her hometown, on the eve of the 26th anniversary of her career.
Namie Amuro was born on September 20, 1977 in Naha. Her parents divorced when she was only 3 years old and her mother (1/4 Italian) had to raise her, her with her brothers and sisters, all alone. Their lifestyle is more than modest and at the time, Namie saw herself as stewardess later. At the age of 10, Namie discovers Yoshie Hayakasa, the first student of the Okinawa Actors School to become famous. Full of admiration for the latter, she decided to follow in her footsteps and enrolled in the same Okinawa Actors School. Every day, 2 hours of walking are waiting for him to get there. Namie's first ambition was to become a singer and she did not intend to do anything else. The girl realizes very quickly that singing is not enough and that it is necessary that she also learns to dance. At the age of 12, Namie reveals her talent to everyone by winning numerous televised competitions and beating among others Minako Ameku, previously unmatched.
Namie's career really began in 1992 when the decision was made to form a group with the brightest students: Super Monkey's, with Namie Amuro, Minako Ameku, Nanako Takushi, Hisako Arakaki and Anna Makino. The first single released under the Toshiba EMI label is called Koi no cute beat and goes almost unnoticed. In order to escape anonymity, the group moved to Tokyo. At the same time, Anna Makino leaves the band for personal reasons. Daughter of the director of the Okinawa Actors School, she is now a teacher. Rino Nakasone briefly replaces her before leaving in her turn. The members being reduced to 4, the group logically takes the name of Super Monkey's 4 '. Two singles follow, Dancing junk and Aishite Muscat, despite the commercials in which the group appears, the expected success is still not showing. For the 4> single, Paradise train, the band changes its name again and becomes Namie Amuro with Super Monkey's, the latter having always been the leader anyway. She also stars in TV series, and even runs a children's show, Ponkikies, in duo with Ranran Suzuki, both wearing a rabbit costume, releasing a single under the name Sister Rabbits as part of the 'program. It's when the Super Monkey's 5> single comes out that things start to change. Hisako Arakaki leaves the group while Reina Miyauchi and Ritsuko Matsuda integrate him. Try me ~ watashi wo shinjite, taking over the title eurobeat Lolita, is a real success that will be placed straight in the top 10. With this title, Namie Amuro and his girlfriends get their ticket to the big annual show Kouhaku Utagussen. The following two eurobeat singles, Taiyo no season and Stop the music, released under the name Namie Amuro, mark a milestone. It is clear then that what awaits Amuro is a solo career. The other four girls are now officially dancing in the back.
