|
Utada Hikaru Getting Married
from kp.com
"TOKYO — Leading Japanese pop star Hikaru "Hikki" Utada, known for hit albums such as "First Love," on Friday married her video director Kazuaki Kiriya, her Japanese record label Toshiba-EMI Ltd. said.
The U.S.-born 19-year-old is one of Japan's top-selling female artists. She met Kiriya, aged 34 and a photographer, two years ago, and they have collaborated on producing music videos and photographing covers for Utada's CDs.
They registered their marriage to authorities and do not plan a wedding ceremony and reception or a press conference.
"Having a new force with me, I'll keep working as diligently as before," Utada said in a statement. "I thought this moment, when I resume my music career after a period of rest, is the best time to begin a new life."
Utada was hospitalized in early April and surgeons removed a benign tumor from one of her ovaries. She posted personal messages on her web site as she recuperated, and is aiming for a full return to the music scene.
"This is a marriage before I am blessed with a baby," she said in the statement, likely referring to a celebrity trend in which stars such as Namie Amuro, who shot to fame in the mid-1990s, have tied the knot after getting pregnant.
On her web site, Utada said some may wonder at her decision to marry at a young age, but stressed her decision came naturally from her desire to spend her life with the one she loves.
Kiriya, whose real name is Kazuhiro Iwashita, was born in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan. He directed recent Utada videos including the singles "Final Distance," "Traveling" and "Deep River." He mainly works in Tokyo and New York.
Kiriya described in the August issue of monthly advertising critique magazine Kokoku Hihyo that Utada's appeal lies in her great blend of intellect and talent.
Born in New York into a family with a strong musical background, with her mother Keiko Fuji a popular "enka" or Japanese ballad singer in the late 1960s and early 1970s and her father Teruzane Utada a musician and producer, Hikaru Utada debuted in December 1998 with the instant hit "Automatic."
"First Love," her first album, was released in 1999 and is the top-selling album in Japan at about 8.7 million copies. Her latest song collection, "Deep River," was released in June.
Utada had earlier enrolled at Columbia University in New York but took time off to concentrate on her career.
Music critic Yuko Noji expects her marriage to be a plus in her music career and enhance her potential as an artist.
Mitsushige Takemura, who authored a book on Utada, agreed, saying Utada appeals to fans through her spontaneity and is recognized as an "artist rather than an idol." (Kyodo News)"
__________________
.
|
09-08-2002 05:10 AM
