Naoto Inti Raymi facts for kids

Naoto Nakamura (中村 直人, Nakamura Naoto), known as Naoto Inti Raymi, is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and composer. He was born in Mie Prefecture and grew up in Chiba Prefecture.

From 2001 to 2002, he used his birth name, Naoto, as his stage name. While still at Chuo University, he released his first major single, "Growing up!!", with Sony Music Records. He released three singles and one album before finishing university in 2002.

After graduating, Naoto went on an amazing trip around the world. He visited 28 countries over 515 days, from 2003 to 2004. When he returned, he started his music career again with a new stage name: Naoto Inti Raymi. "Inti Raymi" means "festival of the sun" in the Quechuan language.

In 2010, he released "Carnival?" with Universal Sigma. His hit songs "TAKARAMONO – KONO KOEGA NAKUNARUMADE –" (2010) and "IMANO KIMIWO WASURENAI" (2011) were downloaded over a million times.

In 2012, Naoto performed on Japan's famous TV music show, KOUHAKU UTA GASSEN. He continued to release music and tour Japan. In 2015, 40,000 fans came to his concert at KYOCERA DOME OSAKA to celebrate his 5th anniversary with a major record label.

Naoto is not just a singer. He also writes songs for other artists. He started acting in 2015, appearing in the movie "KAMISAMA WA BALINI IRU". In 2016, he played the main role in the musical "DNA-SHARAKU". He also appeared in the TV show "KOUNODORI" in 2017.

His travels have greatly inspired his music and his view on life. He has visited 65 countries so far. These journeys help him dream of performing worldwide, including in Asia, North and South America, and Europe. He is now making music in other languages to achieve his dream of a world tour.

Naoto's Early Life and Music Journey

Starting Music: 1979–2000

Naoto began learning guitar and writing songs at 14, in 1993. In high school, he became more serious about music. He even made his own album with his songs. He started playing music on the streets to get better at performing. These street shows helped him create his unique style, where he gets the audience involved in his concerts.

In 1999, while studying at Chuo University, Naoto took his first trip abroad to New York City. During his visit, he was invited to perform on stage at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. He wasn't scared! He grabbed the microphone and entertained the crowd by making up music with the band. The audience gave him a standing ovation. This experience of exciting people with his music, even with a language barrier, gave him a new dream: to become a world-famous performer.

The "Naoto" Years: 2001–2004

In 2001, Naoto signed a deal with Sony Music Records and officially started his music career. In June 2002, he released an album called "Funk Renaissance". However, it didn't have any big hit songs. After releasing another single in September, his record deal ended.

Feeling disappointed, he took a break. He remembered his dream of a world tour, which came from his Apollo Theater experience. He decided to travel the world to grow as a person and learn about different music styles. In August 2003, his journey began. He visited 28 countries before returning to Japan in December of that year. He realized the world had much more to offer than what he saw on TV.

The Middle Eastern countries and the kind people he met there gave him a new goal. He wanted to use his music to help make the world a more peaceful place. He even got to perform for Yasser Arafat, who was a leader at the time. Naoto sang "UE O MUITE ARUKOU", a very popular Japanese pop song. Other memorable moments from his trip included touring with a local band in Miami, USA. He also almost signed a contract to play professional football in Peru! His journey showed his many talents and helped him see the world in a new way.

New Name, New Start: 2005–2009

After his world trip, Naoto chose his new stage name, Naoto Inti Raymi. He was inspired by his amazing experience at Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. In Quechuan language, "Inti" means sun and "Raymi" means festival. This language was spoken by the Inca Empire.

He built his music career by performing countless times on streets and in small music venues. Then, he had a life-changing chance to meet Kazutoshi Sakurai. He is the lead singer of Mr. Children, a very popular rock band in Japan. Naoto started singing backup for Mr. Children at their concerts in 2008. While doing this, he also signed a contract as a solo artist. He continued to perform his own solo concerts, improving his music and stage presence.

Big Success and Beyond: 2010–Present

Naoto made his third major debut with "Carnival?" in April 2010. Just eight months later, he had a successful solo concert at Nippon Budokan. This is a famous concert hall where many Japanese artists dream of performing. He released many songs that year. This included the single "TAKARAMONO -KONO KOE GA NAKUNARUMADE-" and his first album "Shall we travel??". He also released another single, "ARITTAKE NO Love Song".

He kept touring, playing at bigger venues and gaining more fans. His hard work paid off at the end of 2012. He appeared on Japan's annual New Year's Eve TV music show, "NHK KOUHAKU UTAGASSEN".

After releasing more songs and growing as a singer-songwriter, Naoto performed at KYOSERA Dome in Osaka in 2015. He played for 40,000 fans! Then, he started exploring other artistic fields like acting. He took the main role in the musical "DNA-SHARAKU" in 2016. In 2017, he traveled the world again, visiting 19 countries. This helped him make his music even more diverse.

The next year, he toured all 47 prefectures in Japan by himself. He also wrote a song for Masashi Sada, a legendary Japanese pop musician. He wrote a song for BOYS AND MEN, a rising pop group. His seventh and latest album, "7", came out on December 5, 2018. It included a song he wrote with Mr. Children’s Kazutoshi Sakurai.

Naoto's performances are now reaching beyond Japan. To make his dream of a world tour come true, he has worked with non-Japanese songwriters. He has also created songs in other languages.

Naoto's Music Albums

Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

Other Songs

Other Music Appearances