Tomomi Kahara facts for kids

Tomomi Kahara (華原 朋美, Kahara Tomomi) (also known as Tomomi Kahala) was born as Tomomi Shimogawara (下河原 朋美, Shimogawara Tomomi) on August 17, 1974, in Tokyo, Japan. She is a famous Japanese pop singer. In the 1990s, she became very successful by working with music producer Tetsuya Komuro. After 1999, her popularity changed when she released an album not produced by him. Tomomi Kahara and Tetsuya Komuro dated for a few years. Later, due to personal challenges, her talent agency ended her contract in 2007.

Tomomi Kahara's Life and Career

Early Life and Start in Music (Before 1995)

Tomomi Kahara was born in Koto, Tokyo in 1974. She went to Showa Gakuin Elementary, and Shoin Junior and Senior High School. When she was three, she started taking horse-riding lessons. In 1992, she even placed 4th in a big national sports event in Japan. Before becoming a singer, she worked as a model. She appeared in popular fashion magazines like CanCam and Vivi. She also appeared on TV shows.

Becoming a Star (1995–1997)

Tomomi Kahara started working with music producer Tetsuya Komuro. Her first song, "Keep Yourself Alive," came out in late 1995. It sold over 360,000 copies and was one of the top 10 songs. Her second song, "I Believe," sold over a million copies, making her even more popular.

In March 1996, she released "I'm Proud." This song became her best-selling single, reaching number 2 on the charts. It even sold more copies than songs by Namie Amuro that year. In June 1996, she released her first album, Love Brace. This album was a collection of songs about love. Tetsuya Komuro said it was his best work. It was a huge hit, selling over 2.5 million copies. Half of these copies were sold in just the first week!

Tomomi Kahara was already a big star. She and Tetsuya Komuro became a couple. She continued to release hit songs, all reaching number 1 on the charts. In December 1997, she released her second album, Storytelling. It also reached the top of the charts. It sold 1.37 million copies, which was still a lot, but less than her first album.

Changes in Popularity (1998–1999)

After her album Storytelling, Tomomi Kahara's popularity started to decrease. Her relationship with Tetsuya Komuro was often talked about in the news. Her next song, "Tumblin Dice," reached number 2, but her songs did not reach the top spot again. Her album nine cubes sold about 261,000 copies. This was much less than her first two albums.

After her relationship with Tetsuya Komuro ended, she faced some challenges in the media. She then left her record company. Her old company released a collection of her best songs, which sold well. Around this time, some news articles suggested that rising star Ami Suzuki might take her place. After taking some time to relax, Tomomi Kahara started her music career again at Warner Music. She began writing her own song lyrics.

New Music and Comeback (1999–2006)

After working with Komuro, Tomomi Kahara worked with different producers at Warner Music Japan. She released albums like One Fine Day in 1999 and Love Again in 2001.

In 2004, Kahara joined Universal Music Japan. Her new songs showed her amazing singing skills. She sang some of her biggest hits again. She also recorded new songs from Korean and Japanese composers. She even covered famous pop songs like "Ben" by Michael Jackson. Her best-selling album at Universal sold over 50,000 copies. Her album N***d sold about 12,000 copies. Even so, she was still seen in the media.

In 2006, Tomomi Kahara returned to the spotlight for a short time. She starred in a musical. Her latest photo book, Crystallize II, sold very well. She also lent her voice to the Japanese DVD of 'Sound of Music'. She sang the main song for a Japanese TV drama called NHK Taiga.

Taking a Break and Returning (2007–Present)

On June 29, 2007, Tomomi Kahara ended her contract with Ogipro. This was due to some personal challenges that affected her work. After this, she took a break from entertainment. People were not sure if she would return.

On October 30, 2011, she announced that she would come back to the entertainment world. She took singing and acting lessons to prepare. By the end of 2012, she made her return on a live TV show called FNS.

On April 17, 2013, she released a new song called "Dreamed a Dream." On June 26, 2013, she released a new album called Dream – self cover Best.

In 2016, Kahara was a special guest at the Japanese ice show Fantasy on Ice. She sang live with different figure skaters at shows in Makuhari and Sapporo.

Music Releases

Tomomi Kahara has released many songs and albums throughout her career.

Singles

She has released many singles, with some reaching the top of the charts in Japan. Her most popular singles include "I Believe" and "I'm Proud," which both sold over a million copies. She has also released digital singles like "Carry's son" and "Change my everything."

Albums

Tomomi Kahara has released several studio albums, compilation albums (which are collections of her best songs), self-cover albums (where she sings her own songs again), and cover albums (where she sings songs by other artists). Her first album, Love Brace, was a huge success, selling over 2.5 million copies.

Videography

Tomomi Kahara has also released live concert videos and music video collections on DVD and VHS.

See also

In Spanish: Tomomi Kahala para niños