Miyavi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
MIYAVI
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Miyavi in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Takamasa Ishihara (石原 崇雅, Ishihara Takamasa) |
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| Born | September 14, 1981 |
| Origin | Konohana-ku, Osaka, Japan |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
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Takamasa Ishihara (born September 14, 1981), known as MIYAVI, is a Japanese guitarist, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is famous for his special guitar style called "finger-slapping." This means he hits the guitar strings with his fingers to make a unique sound.
MIYAVI started his music journey in 1999 as a guitarist for the rock band Dué le Quartz. In 2002, he began his solo career. He also joined the rock supergroup S.K.I.N. in 2007 and later The Last Rockstars from 2022 to 2024. In 2009, he started his own company, J-glam.
Beyond music, MIYAVI has acted in movies like Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie. He also had roles in other American films. Since 2013, MIYAVI has been a volunteer for UNHCR, which helps refugees around the world. In 2017, he became an official Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR.
Contents
Early Life and Discovering Music
MIYAVI was born in Osaka, Japan. When he was young, he moved to Kawanishi. He was a good student and loved playing football. He even joined a junior team for a professional football club.
However, a sports injury in junior high school stopped him from becoming a professional athlete. At 15, he found a new passion: playing the guitar. He bought a guitar and started learning songs by artists like Ray Charles.
He enjoyed Japanese rock bands like X Japan and Luna Sea. He also listened to other music styles, including blues, Motown, and hard rock. In his last year of junior high, he formed his first band, Loop.
Music Career Highlights
Starting with Dué le Quartz and Solo Music
In 1999, when he was 17, MIYAVI moved to Tokyo. He joined the rock band Dué le Quartz. In the band, he was not only the guitarist but also wrote songs. When the band broke up in 2002, he started his solo career. He changed his stage name to MIYAVI.
He released his first solo album, Gagaku, in October 2002. Later that year, he released three more songs. In 2003, he held his first solo concert in Tokyo. He released more songs and his second album, Galyuu.
Becoming a Major Artist
In 2004, MIYAVI appeared as himself in the movie Oresama. He went on his first solo tour, which included shows in Korea and Taiwan. In August, he performed at the Nippon Budokan, a famous venue in Japan.
In October 2004, he signed a big contract with Universal Music Group. His first major song, "Rock no Gyakushuu"/"21sekikei Koushinkyoku", became a top ten hit.
In 2005, his first major album, Miyavizm, was released and reached the top ten. He continued to release popular songs. In late 2005 and 2006, MIYAVI changed his music style to a more acoustic and pop sound. He released two albums, MYV Pops and Miyaviuta: Dokusō, which showed this new style. After this, he went to America to study English and dance.
International Recognition and World Tours
In February 2007, MIYAVI performed his first solo concert in the United States, in Las Vegas. In May, it was announced that he would join a new band called S.K.I.N.. The band had their first and only concert in California in June.
MIYAVI released more songs in Japan. In 2008, his album This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock came out. This was followed by his first ever worldwide tour, This Iz The Japanese Kabuki Rock Tour 2008. He performed 33 concerts in many countries, including the United States, Europe, and Asia. This tour was very successful and helped him become known around the world.
Starting His Own Company
In 2009, MIYAVI started his own company, J-glam inc. He then began his second worldwide tour, Neo Tokyo Samurai Black 2009/2010, visiting Europe, South America, and the United States. In December 2009, he signed a new music contract with EMI Music Japan.
In 2010, he released his first song with EMI, "Survive". He continued his world tour, performing in the United States, Canada, and Australia. His fifth studio album, What's My Name?, was released in October 2010.
In 2011, he started another world tour called What's My Name?. He performed in Europe, Japan, China, and North and South America. He also released a song called "Strong" with Japanese rapper Kreva.
Acting and Collaborations
In 2012, MIYAVI performed at several music festivals in France and Russia. He released a song called "Day 1" with French DJ Yuksek. He also released an album called Samurai Sessions vol.1, which featured songs with different artists.
In 2013, MIYAVI released his song "Ahead of the Light" and his seventh studio album, Miyavi. In October 2013, it was announced that MIYAVI would start acting in international films. He played the role of Mutsuhiro Watanabe in the movie Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie. He said he chose the role because the movie's main message was about forgiveness.
MIYAVI was nominated for the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Japanese Act in 2013. He also won the Best Collaboration award at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan for his song "Day 1" with Yuksek.
In 2014, MIYAVI went on his fourth world tour, "Slap the World." He also wrote music for the Japanese group SMAP.
Recent Music and Acting
His album The Others was released in 2015. It was produced by Grammy Award winners Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders. One of the songs, "The Others," was later used to support UNHCR. He toured Europe and South Korea for this album.
In 2016, MIYAVI released his album Fire Bird and went on a tour in Japan.
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In 2017, he had a small role in the movie Kong: Skull Island. He also went on a North American and European tour called "Fire Bird World Tour." To celebrate 15 years as a solo artist, he released a special album called All Time Best: Day 2.
In 2018, MIYAVI acted in the live-action film Bleach. In 2019, he performed concerts in Los Angeles and Boston. He also had a villain role in the film Stray. In December 2019, MIYAVI joined a new talent company, LDH Japan, to work on more international projects.
In 2020, he released the album Holy Nights. He also provided songs for the anime series ID:Invaded. In 2021, MIYAVI did his first voice acting role in the anime film Bright: Samurai Soul. In 2022, he joined the supergroup The Last Rockstars with other famous musicians.
Personal Life
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On March 14, 2009, MIYAVI married Japanese-American singer Melody. They have three children: two daughters, Lovelie and Jewelie, and a son, Skyler.
From 2014 to 2021, MIYAVI and his family lived in Los Angeles, California. After his son was born, they moved back to Tokyo, Japan, where they live now. After becoming a father, MIYAVI changed his stage look to be a bit more relaxed.
Discography
Studio albums
- Gagaku (October 31, 2002)
- Galyuu (December 2, 2003)
- Miyavizm (June 1, 2005)
- MYV Pops (August 2, 2006)
- Miyaviuta: Dokusō (September 13, 2006)
- This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock (March 19, 2008)
- What's My Name? (October 13, 2010)
- Miyavi (June 19, 2013)
- The Others (April 15, 2015)
- Fire Bird (August 31, 2016)
- Samurai Sessions, Vol. 2 (November 8, 2017)
- Samurai Sessions, Vol. 3: Worlds Collide (December 5, 2018)
- No Sleep Till Tokyo (July 24, 2019)
- Holy Nights (April 22, 2020)
- Imaginary (September 15, 2021)
- Lost in love, Found in pain (October 23, 2024)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Ryoma's Wife, Her Husband and Her Lover | cameo | ||
| 2003 | Oresama | himself | ||
| 2014 | Unbroken | Mutsuhiro Watanabe | ||
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | Gunpei Ikari | ||
| 2018 | Bleach | Byakuya Kuchiki | ||
| Gangoose | Adachi | |||
| 2019 | Stray | Jin | ||
| Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | Udo | |||
| 2021 | Kate | Jojima | ||
| Bright: Samurai Soul | Kōketsu | Voice role | ||
| 2022 | Hell Dogs | Yoshitaka Toake | ||
| 2023 | Familia | Kaito Enomoto | ||
| 2024 | Yo Gabba GabbaLand | Guest | ||
| TBA | The Wrecking Crew  |
TBA | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Followers | himself | ||
| 2021 | Arcane | Finn | Voice role |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
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| 2013 | MTV Europe Music Award | Best Japanese Act | Nominated | ||
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Collaboration | Day 1 (with Yuksek) | Won | ||
| 2014 | Best Male Video | Horizon | Nominated |
