Jazz has indeed been a highlight of the summer's performances in Taiwan. And now that fall has arrived, jazz diva Lisa Ono, known as the Japanese queen of bossa nova, is bringing a cool breeze to accompany the autumn weather settling across the island.
Born and raised in Brazil, the 38 year-old Ono has been expressing her love of bossa nova through 10 albums released since 1989, which have sold a total of three million copies. Those albums, as well as her performances, have helped spark a bossa nova wave in Japan's jazz market.
The singer has been widely recognized for her soft, unadorned vocal style, which is ideal for singing the West Coast jazz of diva Astrud Gilberto. Ono's simple but authentic interpretation of bossa nova has helped the bilingual singer attract Brazilian bossa nova masters Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paulo and Daniel Jobim to compose and cooperate with her.
Distinct from her previous album, which was rich in jazz originals, Ono's new album Pretty World is a collection and a tribute to classic jazz and pop singers. This will be the main source of material for her Asian tour. Songs include Francis Lai's "Un Homme Et Une Femme, "Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour," the Carpenters' "This Masquerade" and Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." "Be with Me" will also feature in the shows, the creation of Ono and producer Eumir Deodato (who previously produced for pop singer Bjork).
In the spirit of jazz, Ono's live performances are always
improvisational, adding a freshness that appeals to audiences. "I am willing to try different music styles, such as French ballads, Brazilian folk songs and Japanese children's ballads," Ono said in an recent interview with Taiwanese reporters. Ono has enjoyed wide publicity in Taiwan, especially since signing with EMI three years ago and focusing on the Asian market. Ono says she "feels a familiarity to Taiwan because my father was in fact born in Tainan." It will make for a sentimental show and a warm welcome from her
Taiwan fans.
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