[ICON] Kalafina - The Female Unit Whose Vocals Generate a World of Fantasy（2/3）

2012.04.26

I was influenced by Ozaki Yutaka, how about that! (lol) (Keiko)

ab: What made you become singers?

Wakana： When I was in elementary school, I joined a youth choir and that’s how I got started in music. But when I was in high school, I discovered Whitney Houston and that had a huge impact. It was then I decided to become a singer.

Keiko： One day when I was at school, the voice of Ozaki Yutaka opened my eyes to music. From then I started full on voice training.

ab: That’s so cool. Which Ozaki Yutaka songs do you like?

Keiko: I can’t say which song I like the most, but I like his live performances more than his original tracks. I often listed to his live concert CDs. I like the way his voice becomes raspy and he shouts in some songs.

ab: How about you, Hikaru?

Hikaru: I liked music for as long as I can remember, and I always wanted to become a singer. There is no one thing that put me on this track, but I am so fortunate that I have become a singer.

● The book “Kalafina Records” is full of interviews on how the three came to become singers and lists their activities to date.

ab: What artists have influenced you?

Hikaru： Well, my mother said when I was young she played me Madonna, B’z and Kyosuke Himuro at home. From memory the first western music I heard was Beyonce, and the first album I ever bought was Destiny’s Child.

Feeling the energy of regional Japan at the "ANIUTA KITAKYUSHU 2011" event

ab： This year you appeared in the “ANIUTA KITAKYUSHU 2011” and the Tokushima “Machi★Asobi” events. Do you appear in many of these regional anime events?

Wakana： We have only appeared in those two regional events so far, but Japan has so many anime events and we love singing in many different places.

ab: How does regional Japan compare to Tokyo?

Wakana: I grew up in Fukuoka so the Kitakyushu event left an impression. On the day so many people came despite heavy snow. Some of my friends were coming to the event by car and it was so cold that the air conditioner broke down, so for them it was a day to remember because they froze on the way! Even though it was so cold they all had a great time and that made me so happy. It showed me that there are so many fans in regional Japan so I want to perform outside Tokyo again.

Keiko: Every time I visit regional Japan everyone says, “Thanks so much for coming.” It makes me so happy and makes me feel like saying, “You make us want to come!” We can repay the fans through our music and we want to gradually increase the number of regional events we attend. When we attend a regional event we three always say how we would like to monopolize the stage and hold our own concerts in these places.