Anza (singer)

Anza was born in Cape Town, South Africa, to a White South African mother and a Japanese father.[1][2] When they moved to Nagasaki, Japan in her childhood, Anza was not fluent in the Japanese language and was bullied because of her foreign appearance.[1] She has a younger sister named Chiho Oyama who played Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon musicals.

Anza began modeling in junior high school and was invited to shoot a commercial in Nagoya.[1] At fifteen, she made her acting debut on NHK's Chūgakusei Nikki.[1] She made her music debut in 1992 as a member of the pop idol group Sakurakko Club and released a number of singles with them.[3] She and Ayako Morino, also of Sakurakko Club fame, were in a spin-off duo called Momo.[3] They released two singles in 1993 and 1994.

With Anza joining the Sailor Moon musicals in 1993, she appeared regularly on the CD releases for the musicals, both in solo and group songs. From her five-year period as Sailor Moon, she can be heard on the "La Soldier" single (released prior to the very first musical), the first five Memorial Album of the Musical releases, as well as three of the eight compilation albums which have been released since the musicals' conception.

In 1994, Moon Lips, a group of actresses from the musicals including Anza, provided vocals for the Sailor Moon anime's theme song "Moonlight Densetsu". It was used for the show's third and fourth seasons, known as Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon Super S, respectively.

Shortly following her graduation from the Sailor Moon musicals in 1998, she released a solo single entitled "Dream" under the Sony Music Entertainment Japan record label. "Dream" was also featured as the ending theme song for the TV show Famitsu Wave. In April 1999, she released "Tobira wo Akete" (under Victor Entertainment), a single which was used as a theme song for the anime Cardcaptor Sakura. In September 1999, Anza provided vocals for "Ai wo Shizumeteru", the ending theme song to the PlayStation game Psychic Force 2. Another of her songs, "Mienai Chizu", was used as an insert song in episode 68 of Cardcaptor Sakura.

Anza with Head Phones President in New York City 2010

In 1999, Anza went in a completely different direction with her music. She formed Head Phones President with brothers Hiro and Mar, who previously helped her on her solo work.[2][3] They are a heavy metal band, with occasional harsh, screamed vocals interspersed with soft melodic singing. Anza is often introduced as being on "vocals and visuals". They have referred to their music as "'negative', due to their emotional lyrics that stem from traumatic experiences, [but] believe their music expresses their struggles in a hopeful manner."[3] A lot of the lyrics come from Anza; the song "Alienblood" represents her own troubles growing up in Japan as mixed race.[3]

In 2003, Toho recorded four of its Les Misérables musicals live, and they released four double-disc albums (available only by special order directly from Toho). Anza appears on the light blue album with Kazutaka Ishii as Jean Valjean.

In 2006, Anza was signed onto the Universal Music Japan and released her debut single with them: "Kanata e". It was used as the second ending theme song for the anime Glass no Kantai.[4]

In late 2008, she joined the rock band Vitamin-Q along with Masami Tsuchiya, Kazuhiko Katō, Gota Yashiki and Rei Ohara. However, after Kato's suicide on October 17, 2009, the group ceased activity.

In 2011, Anza started a webshop in collaboration with Riho, "Raz -Rabbit" is a shop of clothes and accessories.[5]

On May 1, 2011, Anza performed a solo show in support of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami victims. At the show, nominated "Anza's Box", she sang songs from musicals SeraMyu, Gift, Les Misérables, beyond musics from solo career and participation of Iwana Misako (from SeraMyu), Manabu Oda (from musical Gift) and her band Head Phones President.

On December 24, 2011, Anza performed on "Live & Cafe Bar Rocky", in Tokyo, the solo show "Anza Xmas Live". The show had participation of Tomo (key), Hiro (guitar), Norio Yoshida (bass), Sakaguchi Masaru (percussion) and Maddie as a special guest. In addition to the songs from the previous show, she sang Christmas songs dressed in Santa Claus costume.

In late 2012, Anza was featured on the song "Unmei no Megami" from the group Dragon Guardian, at the album The Best of Dragon Guardian Saga.

Since 2013, Anza has performed as a DJ sporadically, alone or with her bandmate Narumi.

On May 24, 2014, Anza celebrated her 22 years of career in the show "Anza Solo Live" with participation of musicians Kato Tomoko, HIRO and Sakaguchi Masaru, in addition to special guests Okuyama Momoko, Iwana Misako (formerly Kotani Misako), Oda Manabu, Haruka (Rouse Garden) and Fujiwara Yuki. On sale at the concert had a small "ANZA BOOK" celebrating her 22-year career's day and a new T-shirt designed by Anza's collaboration brand RAZ.

The music of Head Phones President was the genesis of the rock musical Stand in the World written and directed by Shohei Hayashi, which ran at the Tokyo Arts Center from June 11–13, 2016. The band performed during the show which stars Erika Yamakawa, Manabu Oda and Hikari Ono.[6]

For the 15th anniversary of the PGS SPECIAL STORE, RAZ was in a physical store in Ikebukuro from November 10 to 28, 2016.

On December 2, 2016, Anza performed the show "Anza Solo Live" on "New eight", in Kamata, Tokyo. The show had participation of Iwana Misako, in addition to the musicians Key_TOMO and Gt_HIRO. On May 4, 2017, Anza performed the show "ANZA Birthday Live" in the same place, with the same guests, with additional participation of Oda Manabu.

On February 26, 2017, Anza made a guest appearance on JENOFES at Ikebukuro Live Inn Rosa, Tokyo JAPAN.

On March 25, 2017, Anza started the column "Good times for a change ☆" at BEEAST web rock magazine.[7]

Anza solo 20th anniversary, RAZ 7th anniversary SPECIAL LIVE "ANZA WORLD" was on July 13, 2018 at Sengawa Fix Hall with guests Iwana Misako and NANA(REASTERISK); musicians TOMO and HIRO; Apparel RAZ; dj NARUMI and models Chiro, AREA, iPo, Nagano Erina, Misato Koromo, Otaki Tetsutaro and Ayami Rika.[8]

Anza has performed in a number of stage productions, the majority of which being musicals. Her first major production was as the leading role of Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon musicals, commonly known as Sera Myu. She is one of the longest-running cast members to ever perform in the Sailor Moon musicals and is the longest-running Sailor Moon to date. She held the role for five years performing in thirteen separate productions between 1993 and 1998.[9]

Nearing the end of her stretch as Sailor Moon, she also performed in a musical called 2050-nen no Aoi Shima between 1997 and 1998. Chiruchiru was the name of her character. In 2000, she broke off from the musical scene in a Japanese stage production of Mr. Holland's Opus. Similarly, in 2002, she was in a Japanese stage production of When Harry Met Sally....

In 2003, Anza returned to doing musicals by taking on the role of Eponine in several Toho productions of Les Misérables through till 2006. In 2004, Anza appeared as Ellen in one production of Miss Saigon (also produced by Toho) as well as a Japanese adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters in the role of Irina.

She also appeared in Vamps' 2009 music video for their cover of Shampoo's "Trouble".