Biography
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Born
13 January 1982 (age 42)
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Born In
Tokyo, Japan
青木カレン (Karen Aoki) is a Japanese jazz vocalist who spent her early childhood growing up in Hong Kong and the U.S. (Detroit).
In her high school and college years, Aoki hopped between Thailand, London, and Japan, all the while participating in various club events. A demo tape of a band that she had formed at the time fell into the hands of J-WAVE radio station, and was used as an opening song to one of their programs.
Later, while working as a photographic assistant, Aoki was singing a cappella to one of her own creations and a media producer who had heard it then chose to use her voice in numerous commercials. After that, as she continued her musical creations, she released two mini indie albums, finally making her major debut in 2000 with three maxi singles and a full album.
In 2003, her heart was captivated by the cool sound of jazz. She immediately looked up all the jazz clubs in Tokyo and participated in their vocalist sessions that same day. Aoki gradually found herself singing in clubs all around the city, all while writing her own original jazz songs.
In 2006, her first jazz album Tokyo Jz Trippin' was released to high acclaim. The album reached #1 on many jazz charts in Japan.
In April 2007, she began hosting the TV program "Groovin' Jazz Night" by BS Asahi TV, and in August 2007, became a presenter of her own radio show "Smooth Night" (every Thursday 1-2am, Cross FM) while touring Japan and recording her next album, which was scheduled for release in June 2008.
Karen Aoki's official website: http://www.rambling.ne.jp/artist/karen/
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