Chitose Hajime facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chitose Hajime
元 ちとせ |
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 5, 1979 Setouchi, Kagoshima, Japan |
| Genres | Folk, World music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Central Gakki Records (1994–1997), Atsuga (2001), Epic (2001–present) |
Chitose Hajime (元 ちとせ, Hajime Chitose, born January 5, 1979) is a Japanese singer. She was born on Amami Ōshima island. She sings in a special style called shima-uta. This singing style is unique to her home region. She is known for her amazing falsetto voice.
Contents
Her Story
Growing Up
Chitose Hajime started learning to play the shamisen when she was very young. Her mother encouraged her to learn this traditional Japanese instrument. When she was 10, she began learning shima-uta singing. This special way of singing has been passed down through many generations.
As a teenager, she won many folk song contests. She traveled all over Japan for these events. At 16, she released her first traditional folk album on a small record label. When she was 17, many big record companies wanted to sign her. This happened after she won a major folk song contest.
However, Chitose was not sure about joining a record label. She later said she was "suspicious of them." So, she decided not to become a professional singer right away. Instead, she chose to study to become a beautician. She moved to Osaka in 1997 to follow her older sister's path. But she had asthma and bad allergies to the chemicals used by beauticians. Because of this, she had to leave school. Before going back home to Amami Ōshima, she contacted a company called Office Augusta. This was the only company that had visited her on her island when she was 17.
Music Career
In March 2001, Chitose released her first mini-album with Augusta Records. It was called Hajime Chitose. This album had cover songs, including some in English. People really liked it! So, she released another mini-album just five months later. In August 2001, she released her second mini-album, Kotonoha (コトノハ). This one had five new songs written by her.
In 2002, she released her first big single with Epic Records. It was called Wadatsumi no Ki (ワダツミの木) ("The Sea-God's Tree"). This song became super popular! It was the third best-selling single of the year in Japan. It sold about 850,000 copies. A few months later, she released another single, "Kimi o Omou" (君ヲ想フ). This song was also very liked. It helped her become a well-known artist.
Her first major album, Hainumikaze (ハイヌミカゼ), came out later that year. It sold 800,000 copies and stayed on the music charts for a long time. It was the 16th best-selling album of the year.
She released three more singles before her second major album. This album, Nomad Soul (ノマド・ソウル, nomado souru), came out in 2003. After a concert tour and a live album in 2004, Chitose announced exciting news. She was getting married and was going to have her first child in 2005.
She returned to music in November 2005 with the single "Kataritsugu Koto" (語り継ぐこと). This song was the ending theme for the anime series BLOOD+. It was a big hit, reaching number 12 on the music charts. She then released "Haru no Katami" (春のかたみ), which was the ending theme for the anime AYAKASHI – Japanese Classic Horror. Another single, "Ao no Requiem" (青のレクイエ), became the theme song for the movie Hatsukoi. The next week, she released her third original major album, Hanadairo (ハナダイロ). A special version of this album included a song with Ryuichi Sakamoto. It also had a DVD with music videos.
After Hanadairo, Chitose took a break to spend time with her family. She also moved to Okinawa. She came back to music in 2008 with the song "CASSINI" (カッシーニ). This song was about family and connecting with others.
In August 2010, she released two albums at the same time. One was called "Orient" and was in Japanese. The other was called "Occident" and was in English.
Her Unique Influence
Scientists have studied Chitose Hajime's special singing style. This style includes parts of traditional Amami-Ōshima music. Studies show that listening to her singing can make people feel calm and relaxed. This effect has been seen in brain scans of people listening to her music.
Discography
Indie Albums
- [1994.08.12] Higya Merabe (ひぎゃ女童) - Cassette Tape, Central Gakki Records
- [2002.06.09] Shima • Kyora • Umui (故郷・美ら・思い) - originally released in 1997, re-released in 2002 by Central Gakki Records
- [2001.03.10] Hajime Chitose - mini album, Augusta Records
- [2001.08.01] Kotonoha (コトノハ) - mini album, Augusta Records
Major Albums
- [2002.07.10] Hainumikaze (ハイヌミカゼ)
- [2003.09.03] Nomad Soul (ノマド・ソウル)
- [2004.08.04] Fuyu no Hainumikaze (冬のハイヌミカゼ) - Double Disc Live Album
- [2006.05.10] Hanadairo (ハナダイロ)
- [2008.07.16] CASSINI (カッシーニ)
Singles
- [2002.02.06] Wadatsumi no Ki (ワダツミの木)
- [2002.05.22] Kimi wo Omou (君ヲ想フ)
- [2002.11.07] Kono Machi (この街)
- [2003.06.11] Sen no Yoru to Sen no Hiru (千の夜と千の昼)
- [2003.08.13] Itsuka Kaze ni Naru Hi (いつか風になる日)
- [2005.11.23] Kataritsugu Koto (語り継ぐこと)
- [2006.03.08] Haru no Katami (春のかたみ)
- [2006.05.03] Ao no Requiem (青のレクイエ)
- [2007.08.22] Anata ga Koko ni Ite Hoshii/Miyori no Mori (あなたがここにいてほしい/ミヨリの森)
- [2008.07.02] Hotaru boshi (蛍星)
DVD
- [2004.08.04] Music Film Hajime Chitose Live – Fuyu no Hainumikaze (ミュージック・フィルム 元ちとせライヴ「冬のハイヌミカゼ」) - DVD Featuring Live Performances and a 'Music Film' of Chitose in Amami O-Shima
See also
In Spanish: Chitose Hajime para niños
- Boushi (TV drama) (2008)
