Hibari Misora

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Misora ​​Hibari
"The Dancer from Izu" 1954 movie poster

Hibari Misora ( Japanese 美 空 ひ ば り , Misora ​​Hibari, actually Katō Kazue (加藤 和 枝); born May 29, 1937 in Yokohama ( Kanagawa Prefecture ); died June 24, 1989 ) was a Japanese singer and actress.

Live and act

Hibari Misora ​​began her career as a singer with the song "Kappa Boogie-Woogie" (河 童 ブ ギ ウ ギ) at the age of 12. Blessed with a good ear and an excellent talent for articulation, she mastered a variety of genres, from the sentimental declamatory song, called " Enka " in Japan , to jazz in English. She was the undisputed top singer in the Japanese world until her untimely death due to an illness.

More hits were

  • "Apple Song" (リ ン ゴ 追 分, Ringo oiwake; 1952),
  • "House in the port city" (港 町 十三 番地, Minatomachi jūbanchi; 1957),
  • "Gentle" (柔, Yawara; 1964), awarded the Japan Record Award in 1965
  • "Sad rice wine" (悲 し い 酒, Kanashii sake; 1966),
  • "Dark red sun" (真 赤 な 太陽, Makkana taiyō; 1967),
  • "Tangled hair" (み だ れ 髪, Midare-gami; 1987).

Hibari also starred in films, including a version of the " Dancer of Izu " in 1954. After her death, she was the first woman to be awarded the Medal of Honor for her musical contribution to Japan's self-discovery after the dark post-war years.

During her lifetime she recorded 1200 songs in 675 albums and singles. 68 million copies were sold. After her death, that number rose to 80 million.

literature

  • S. Noma (Ed.): Misora ​​Hibari . In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993, ISBN 4-06-205938-X , p. 978.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Misora, Hibari
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 美 空 ひ ば り (Japanese)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Japanese singer and actress
DATE OF BIRTH May 29, 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH Yokohama
DATE OF DEATH June 24, 1989