Cornet

A B♭ cornet
Brass instrument
Classification	Wind Brass Aerophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	423.232 (Valved aerophone sounded by lip movement)
Developed	Early 19th century from the post horn
Playing range
Written range:
Related instruments
Trumpet Flugelhorn Bass trumpet Flumpet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B♭. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.

History[link]

The cornet was originally derived from the post horn around 1820 in France. Among the first manufacturers of modern cornets were Parisian Jean Asté in 1828.^{[dubious – discuss]} Cornets first appear as separate instrumental parts in 19th century French compositions.^[1]

This instrument could not have been developed without the improvement of piston valves by Heinrich Stölzel and Friedrich Blühmel. In the early 19th century these two instrument makers almost simultaneously invented the valves still used today. They jointly applied for a patent and were granted this for a period of ten years. The first notable virtuoso player was Jean-Baptiste Arban, who studied the cornet extensively and published La grande méthode complète de cornet à piston et de saxhorn, commonly referred to as the Arban method, in 1864.^[2] Up until the early 20th century, the trumpet and cornet coexisted in musical ensembles. Symphonic repertoire often involves separate parts for trumpet and cornet. As several instrument builders made improvements to both instruments, they started to look and sound more alike. The modern day cornet is used in brass bands, concert bands, and in specific symphonic repertoire that requires a more mellow sound.^[3]

The name cornet derives from corne, meaning horn, itself from Latin cornus. While not musically related, instruments of the Zink family (which includes serpents) are named "cornetto- " with a tonal or pitch related Latin word following the hyphen to describe the particular variant. The 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica referred to serpents as "old wooden cornets".^[4] The Roman/Etruscan cornu (or simply "horn") is the lingual ancestor of these. It is a predecessor of the post horn from which the cornet evolved and was used like a bugle to signal orders on the battlefield.^[3]

The instrument was once sometimes referred to as a cornopean, referencing the earliest cornets with the Stölzel valve system.^{[citation needed]}

Relationship to trumpet[link]

The cornet was invented by adding valves to the post horn in 1814. The valves allowed for melodic playing throughout the register of the cornet. Trumpets were slower to adopt the new valve technology, so for the next 100 years or more, composers often wrote separate parts for trumpet and cornet. The trumpet would play fanfare-like passages, while the cornet played more melodic passages. The modern trumpet has valves that allow it to play the same notes and fingerings as the cornet.^[5]

Cornets and trumpets made in a given key (usually the key of B♭) play at the same pitch, and the technique for playing the instruments is nearly identical. However, cornets and trumpets are not entirely interchangeable, as they differ in timbre. Also available, but usually seen only in the brass band, is an E♭ soprano model, pitched a fourth above the standard B♭. There is usually only one E♭ cornet in a band, adding an extreme high register to the brass band sound. It can be effective in cutting through even the loudest tutti climax.^[6]

Unlike the trumpet, which has a cylindrical bore up until the bell section, the tubing of the cornet has a mostly conical bore, starting very narrow at the mouthpiece and gradually widening towards the bell. Cornets following the 1913 patent of E.A. Couturier can have a continuously conical bore. The conical bore of the cornet is primarily responsible for its characteristic warm, mellow tone, which can be distinguished from the more penetrating sound of the trumpet. The conical bore of the cornet also makes it more agile than the trumpet when playing fast passages, but correct pitching is often less assured.^[3] The cornet is often preferred for young beginners as it is easier to hold, with its centre of gravity much closer to the player.

The cornet mouthpiece has a shorter and narrower shank than a trumpet mouthpiece so it can fit the cornet's smaller mouthpiece receiver. The cup size is often deeper than that of a trumpet mouthpiece.^[4]

Short model traditional cornet, also known as a "Shepherd's Crook" shaped model (Webster's Dictionary 1911).

One variety is the short model traditional cornet, also known as a "Shepherd's Crook" shaped model. These are most often large–bore instruments with a rich mellow sound. There is also a long-model cornet, usually with a smaller bore and a brighter sound, which is closer to a trumpet in appearance. The Shepherd's Crook model is preferred by cornet traditionalists. The long-model cornet is generally used in concert bands in the United States, but has found little following in British-style brass and concert bands.^[7][8]

Playing technique[link]

Connie Jones playing a long-model cornet.

Like the trumpet and all other modern brass wind instruments, the cornet makes a sound when the player vibrates ("buzzes") the lips in the mouthpiece, creating a vibrating column of air in the tubing. The frequency of the air column's vibration can be modified by changing the lip aperture or "embouchure". In addition, the column of air can be lengthened by engaging one or more valves, thus lowering the pitch.

Without valves, the player could only produce a harmonic series of notes like those played by the bugle and other "natural" brass instruments. These notes are far apart for most of the instrument's range, making diatonic and chromatic playing impossible except in the extreme high register. The valves change the length of the vibrating column and provide the cornet with the ability to play chromatically.^[4]

Ensembles with cornets[link]

Brass band (British style)[link]

British style brass band ensembles consist completely of brass instruments (except for the percussion section). The cornet is the leading melodic instrument in this ensemble and trumpets are never used. The ensemble consists of about thirty musicians, including nine B♭ cornets and one E♭ cornet (soprano cornet) in the higher registers. In England, companies such as Besson and Boosey and Hawkes specialized in these instruments. In America, 19th century manufacturers such as Graves and Company, Hall and Quinby, E.G. Wright and the Boston Musical Instrument Manufactury built lines of instruments for this format of ensemble.

Concert band[link]

The cornet also features in the British-style concert band, unlike the American concert band or wind band, where it is replaced by the trumpet. This slight difference in instrumentation derives from the British concert band's heritage in military bands, where the highest brass instrument is always the cornet. There are usually four to six B♭ cornets present in a concert band, but no E♭ instrument, as this role is taken by the E♭ clarinet.

Cornet that looks like a French horn

Fanfare orkest[link]

Fanfare orkesten ("fanfare orchestras"), only found in the Netherlands, Belgium, Northern France and Lithuania use the complete saxhorn family of instruments. The standard instrumentation includes both the cornet and the trumpet; however, in recent decades, the cornet has largely been replaced by the trumpet.

Jazz ensemble[link]

In old style jazz bands, the cornet was preferred to the trumpet, but from the swing era onwards it has been largely replaced by the trumpet, although it has never passed completely out of use. The cornet is now rarely found in big bands mainly because of its limited volume and less piercing tone in comparison to the trumpet. A growing taste for louder and more aggressive sounding instruments has been the chief cause of this trend, especially since the advent of bebop in the post World War II era.

The legendary jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden played the cornet, and Louis Armstrong started off on the cornet but later switched to the trumpet. Cornetists such as Bubber Miley and Rex Stewart contributed substantially to the Duke Ellington Orchestra's early sound. Other influential jazz cornetists include King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Ruby Braff and Nat Adderley. Notable performances on cornet by players generally associated with the trumpet include Freddie Hubbard's on Empyrean Isles by Herbie Hancock and Don Cherry's on The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman.

Today's players[link]

These are some influential cornet players in the world today.

• Bobby Bradford, solo jazz recording artist and musical associate of saxophonist Ornette Coleman and clarinetist John Carter.
• Mark Charig, British cornetist and trumpeter, played with Centipede and King Crimson.
• Jim Cullum, Jr., jazz musician and preservationist of Dixieland.
• Olu Dara, jazz musician and father of noted rapper Nas.
• Dave Douglas, New York based jazz musician and composer, with a long association with John Zorn's Masada.
• Digby Fairweather, leader of Digby's Half Dozen, frequent accompanists to Paul Jones and George Melly.
• Clifton Hyde, musician in the Blue Man Group.
• Dr. Neil "Nelly" Kelly, cornet player for British punk/ska band King Prawn.
• Richard Marshall, principal cornet of the Black Dyke Band.
• Leon Oakley, San Francisco cornetist with the Turk Murphy band (1968–1979) and South Frisco Jazz Band
• Robert Schulz - a cornetist who played with the legendary Turk Murphy before leading his own Frisco Jazz band.
• James Shepherd was the bridge between the great players of the post-war period and modern superstars. He replaced Maurice Murphy as principal cornet of the Black Dyke Band.
• Bill Taft, American cornetist, lead singer and guitarist, played with Benjamin Smoke in Atlanta's Smoke (band). Has appeared as cornetist on songs by The Indigo Girls and currently fronts eccentric Atlanta band Hubcap City.
• Chris Tyle, traditional/swing jazz and recording artist, leader of the Silver Leaf Jazz Band of New Orleans.
• Warren Vaché, Jr., mainstream jazz and recording artist.
• Roger Webster, formerly principal cornet player of Grimethorpe Colliery Band and Black Dyke Band.
• Brindley Venables, Solo / Soprano Cornet, Hannaford Street Silver Band in Toronto

Important players from the past[link]

• Ernest S. Williams, Cornet soloist with Sousa, Conway and Goldman Bands, and famed educator. Also Principle Trumpet with The Philadelphia Orchestra.
• Del Staigers, cornet and trumpet soloist with Sousa, Conway and Goldman Bands.
• Nat Adderley, jazz artist and brother of the famous alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley.
• Jean Baptiste Arban, one of the most influential cornet performers and pedagogue.
• Louis Armstrong, arguably the best known cornet player, also a skilled trumpet player and singer, and one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz and American music.
• Bix Beiderbecke, one of the best known jazz cornet players, he had a huge influence on many future jazz musicians
• Buddy Bolden, often considered the father of jazz, but his playing is unrecorded.
• James F. Burke, the last celebrated cornet soloist of the 20th century. 32 year tenure as soloist with The Goldman Band. Had use of only 1 arm - his left.
• Don Cherry (jazz), was one of the major inovators of the free jazz, and world music pioneer, famous for his work with Ornette Coleman; also a proponent of the pocket trumpet.
• Herbert Lincoln Clarke, one of the finest cornet soloists and band leaders at the turn of the 20th century.
• David B. Dana (1855–1917), lead cornettist in Issler's Orchestra and soloist. Often played fanfares. Solo records usually had fellow musician, pianist Edward Issler, backing him up.
• W.C. Handy, influential composer and band leader, has been called the "Father of the Blues".
• Bohumir Kryl, soloist with John Philip Sousa and founder/conductor of leading concert band.
• Red Nichols, cornettist, composer and jazz band leader.
• Joe "King" Oliver, the first important recorded jazz cornetist, he greatly influenced Louis Armstrong, who played in his band.

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Cornet Compendium

Roger Webster (born 1960) is an English cornetist and psychologist. He has been acclaimed as one of the world's best ever cornetists.^[1] He also teaches performance at the Royal Northern College of Music as well as a weekly lecture on psychology (specialising in Cognitive Intervention Therapy a version of CBT). Webster has played with some of the world's best brass bands and is the principal cornet with Grimethorpe Colliery Band. He is also the joint owner, with his wife, of Webster's Eco-Lube, a firm that manufactures musical instrument lubricants.

Biography[link]

Webster was born in 1960 in Doncaster, England. He was raised in Brierley. His first instrument was piano which he began playing at the age of 6. Four years later he began playing his current instrument the cornet. The piano was gradually pushed aside as he progressed with the cornet at Grimethorpe Colliery Junior Band. Before becoming a professional musician, he worked down the coal mines and prior to that as a Laboratory technician.^[2] However, it wasn't until 1988 that he began to turn his hobby into a job. In this year he was invited to join Black Dyke, one of the world's greatest brass bands, as principal cornet. He stayed here for 5 years before deciding to pursue a solo career. He did however contest during his solo period with CWS Glasgow band, arguably the top band in Scotland. Webster continues to play on occasions with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2000 he was once again invited to join Black Dyke Band, and accepted saying it felt as though he had "seven years off for personal development".^[3] It was during this time that he received a Master's Degree in Music at the University of Leeds, and went on to complete his PhD in psychology^[4] The stay once again lasted five years with him leaving rather suddenly in December 2005. Within days he joined Grimethorpe Colliery Band after the band manager,^[5] invited him to join, as the principal cornet had left only as few days previously. In his first contest for Grimethorpe they came first beating his former band by one point whilst also picking up the best soloist award ^[6] Roger left Grimethorpe in December 2008 along with several colleagues and is currently busy performing as a soloist and orchestral trumpeter (receiving great critical acclaim for his flugal playing in Mahler 3 and trumpet work in Gregson's Dream Song.). Webster worked for Besson whilst they were situated near London, and continues to work for them following their take-over by Buffet Crampon.^[7]Roger rejoined Grimethorpe recently on Principle cornet in a bid to help Grimethorpe become as successful as their recent history, when Webster was last in the band^[8]

Queen Victoria cornet[link]

Webster owns a very old Besson cornet, one that was originally presented to Alexander Owen in 1875 by Queen Victoria. It is specially engraved, and has the Royal crest on the bell. The reason why the Queen presented such a gift is unknown; however, it was presented during the time when Brass music was the pop music of the day. Alexander's daughter gave it to a friend who in turn presented it to Derek Garside after a charity concert in 1961. Roger received the cornet from Garside in 2002, after Garside decided it was time to pass it on to "the present day cornet king". Webster still has it to this day.^[2]

Websters Eco-Lube[link]

Websters Eco-Lube was set up in 2004 after Webster was becoming increasingly worried about the amount of lubricants with toxic labels on them. After four years of research, Webster and Dawn (the co-owner) found oil that was refined so it was good enough to be a lubricant, but also non-toxic. They are said to last longer than others, notably by Steven Mead, one of the world's finest euphonium players. The range of lubricants covers all brass instruments, as well as key oil and cork grease for woodwind instruments.^[9] The sister company, Alliance Products produces and sells a large range of mouthpieces and cases for brass instruments. On its launch, the range was met with wide critical acclaim and continues to be one of the leading brands with an ever increasing demand. The mouthpieces are included in the professional range of instruments by Besson.

Discography[link]

Webster has appeared as soloist on well over 20 CDs, excluding his own.^[10]
His personal solo CDs are:

Bibliography[link]

• On Classical Favourites for Trumpet Webster arranged all the pieces.^[12]
• On Trumpet Through the Ages he performs on the backing CD^[13]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site of Websters eco-Lube Ltd
• Grimethorpe Band's Official website
• Besson's Official website
• Official site of Alliance Products
• Fan Page
• Interview with 4barsrest about Shock Grimethorpe departure

Mark Wilkinson (born in Windsor, England on 3 October 1952) is a British illustrator. He is best known for the detailed cover art that he created for a number of British bands, most prominently the neo-progressive rock band Marillion in the 1980s. Though versed in a number of techniques, he is considered to be a master of the airbrush.

Biography[link]

Wilkinson's first artistic creation for Marillion was the cover of their debut 12" EP Market Square Heroes (1982). Subsequently, Wilkinson's art work would be used on all of Marillion's albums and 12" releases through The Thieving Magpie (1988). When Fish left the band Wilkinson went with him, providing the artwork for several of his 1990s albums and singles.

In 1997, he collaborated with Bill Smith Studios (which had replaced him as Marillion's official art group) on the Best Of Both Worlds compilation CD. The compilation included songs from the eras of the band with and without Fish, and the record label, EMI, decided it should also include artwork reflective of both eras.

Although Wilkinson will likely always be most closely identified with Fish and Marillion (in a similar fashion to Roger Dean's association with Yes or Paul Whitehead's association with Genesis) he has also done album cover and concert poster artwork for several other bands, including Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, as well as miscellaneous pieces for Bon Jovi, Jimmy Page, the Who and Kylie Minogue. Outside of the music community, he has also done numerous book covers, advertisements, comic art (including a 1993 Judge Anderson episode in the Judge Dredd Megazine) and commissioned pieces.

In 2000, Fish and Wilkinson collaborated on a book, The Masque, which, in "back and forth" format, described the process by which the Marillion and Fish album covers were created.

Works[link]

Album covers[link]

Album covers include:

• Marillion Albums
  • Script for a Jester's Tear
  • Fugazi
  • Real to Reel
  • Misplaced Childhood
  • Clutching at Straws
  • The Thieving Magpie

• Fish Albums
  • Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors
  • Internal Exile
  • Suits
  • Sunsets on Empire
  • Raingods with Zippos
  • Fellini Days
  • Field of Crows
  • 13th Star

Comics[link]

Interior comics work includes:

• Judge Anderson: "Voyage of the seeker" (with Alan Grant, in Judge Dredd Megazine, 2.37, 1993)

Comics covers[link]

Comics covers include:

• Judge Dredd Megazine #2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.27, 2.30, 2.32, 2.37, 2.48, 2.50, 2.63, 3.04 (1992–1995)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Charles Aznavour
Aznavour at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
Background information
Birth name	Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian
Born	(1924-05-22) May 22, 1924 (age 88)
Origin	Paris, France
Genres	Pop Chanson Jazz
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actor, public activist, diplomat
Years active	1936–present
Labels	EMI MusArm Records
Associated acts	Claude Lombard Katia Aznavour
Website	www.c-aznavour.com

Charles Aznavour, OC (born Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian; Armenian: Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան; Shahnour Vaghinak Aznavurian;^[1] May 22, 1924) is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world. Charles Aznavour (pronounced in French as Sharl Aznavoor) is known for his unique tenor^[2] voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. He has appeared in more than sixty movies, composed about a thousand songs (including 150 at least in English, 100 in Italian, 70 in Spanish, and 50 in German^[3]), and sold well over 100 million records.^[4]

In 1998, Charles Aznavour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN and users of Time Online from around the globe. He was recognized as the century's outstanding performer, with nearly 18% of the total vote, edging out Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.^[5] He has sung for presidents, popes, and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events, and is the founder of the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario Levon Sayan.

In 2009 he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva.^[6] He started his new Aznavour en Toute Intimité tour in 2011.

Life and career[link]

Background[link]

Aznavour was born as Shahnour Vaghenagi Aznavourian in Paris the son of Armenian immigrants Michael Aznavourian (an Armenian^[7][8] from Akhaltsikhe,Georgia) and Knar Baghdasarian (from Izmir, Turkey), ^[9] who survived the Armenian Genocide.^[10] His father spent his youth in Tbilisi Georgia, where his family had moved for work (Charles's grandfather was a personal chef to the Governor General of Tbilisi).^[11] Later, after moving to France, Michael Aznavourian sang in restaurants before establishing his own Caucasian restaurant called Le Caucase. Missak Manouchian, a leader of French Resistance who was executed by the Nazis in 1944, had been a frequent guest at the Aznavourian's home, and Aznavourians had supported Misak and his wife Meliné when they were in hiding. Together with his wife, who was an actress, Michael introduced Charles to the world of theatre at an early age. Charles dropped out of school at the age of nine, already aspiring to the life of an artist. He began to perform at this time, and soon took the stage name "Aznavour". His big break came in 1946 when the singer Édith Piaf heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States.^[12]

Music[link]

Often described as "France's Frank Sinatra ", Aznavour sings frequently about love. He has written musicals and about a thousand songs, and made more than one hundred records. Aznavour's voice is shaded towards the tenor range, but possesses the low range and coloration more typical of a baritone, contributing to his unique sound. Aznavour speaks and sings in many languages (French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese, Neapolitan), which has helped him perform at Carnegie Hall and other major venues around the world. He also recorded at least one song from the 18th century Armenian poet Sayat Nova, and a popular song, Im Yare^[13] in Armenian. Que C'est Triste Venise, sung in French, Italian (Com'è Triste Venezia), Spanish (Venecia Sin Ti), English (How Sad Venice Can Be), and German (Venedig in Grau), is one of Aznavour's most famous multilingual songs.

In 1974 Aznavour became a major success in the United Kingdom where his song "She" went to Number One in the charts. His other well-known song in the UK was "Dance in the Old Fashioned Way".

Artists who have recorded his songs and collaborated with Aznavour include Édith Piaf, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra (Aznavour was one of the rare European singers invited to duet with him^[14]), Andrea Bocelli, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan (he named Aznavour among the greatest live performers he's ever seen),^[15][16] Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Dalida, Serge Gainsbourg, Josh Groban, Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, José Carreras, Laura Pausini, Nana Mouskouri and Julio Iglesias. Fellow French pop legend Mireille Mathieu has sung and recorded with Aznavour on numerous occasions. In 1974, Jack Jones recorded an entire album of Aznavour compositions entitled "Write Me A Love Song, Charlie", re-released on CD in 2006.^[17] Aznavour and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti sang Gounod's aria Ave Maria together. He performed with famed Russian cellist and friend Mstislav Rostropovich to inaugurate the French presidency of the European Union in 1995. Elvis Costello recorded "She" for the film Notting Hill. One of Aznavour's greatest friends and collaborators from the music industry is legendary Spanish operatic tenor Plácido Domingo, who often performs his hits, most notably a solo studio recording of "Les bateaux sont partis" in 1985 and duet versions of the song in French and Spanish in 2008, as well as multiple live renditions Aznavour's "Ave Maria". In 1994, Aznavour performed with Domingo and Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø at Domingo's third annual Christmas in Vienna concert. The three singers performed a variety of carols, medleys, and duets, and the concert was televised throughout the world, as well as released on a CD internationally.^[18]

At the start of autumn in 2006, Aznavour initiated his farewell tour, performing in the US and Canada, and earning very positive reviews. Aznavour started 2007 with concerts all over Japan and Asia. The second half of 2007 saw Aznavour return to Paris for over 20 shows at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, followed by more touring in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the rest of France. He has repeatedly stated that this farewell tour, health permitting, will likely last beyond 2010. At 87, Aznavour is in excellent health, although admittedly 60 years on stage have made him "a little hard of hearing".^[19] He still sings in multiple languages and without persistent use of teleprompters, but typically sticks to just two or three (French and English being the primary two, with Spanish or Italian being the third) during most concerts.^[20] On 30 September 2006, Aznavour performed a major concert in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia to start off the cultural season "Arménie mon amie" in France. Armenian president Robert Kocharyan and French president Jacques Chirac, at the time on an official visit to Armenia, were in front-row attendance.^[21]

Charles Aznavour in concert (1988).

In 2006, 82-year-old Aznavour traveled to Cuba, where he, together with Chucho Valdés, recorded his new album Colore Ma Vie, presented at Aznavour's Moscow concert in April 2007. Later, in July 2007, Aznavour was invited to perform at the Vieilles Charrues Festival.

"Forever Cool" (2007), an album from Capitol/EMI, features Aznavour singing a new duet of "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" with the voice of the late Dean Martin.

Aznavour finished a tour of Portugal in February 2008. On 18 January 2008 he participated as guest vocalist with the contestants of the French reality show Star Academy and sang his famous Emmenez-Moi with contestant Jérémy Chapron. Throughout the spring of 2008, Aznavour toured South America, holding a multitude of concerts in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Summer saw him in Quebec, and a return to Latin America followed in autumn.

In 2008 an album of duets, Duos, was released. It is a collaborative effort featuring Aznavour and his greatest friends and partners from his long career in the music industry, including Céline Dion, Sting, Laura Pausini, Josh Groban, Paul Anka, Plácido Domingo, and many others.^[22] It was released on various dates in December 2008 across the world.^[23] His next album, Charles Aznavour and The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (previously known as Jazznavour 2), is a continuation in the same vein as his hit album Jazznavour released in 1998, involving new arrangements on his classic songs with a jazz orchestra and other guest jazz artists. It was released on November 30, 2009.^[24]

In 2009 Aznavour also toured across America. The tour, named Aznavour en liberté,^[25] started in late April 2009 with a wave of concerts across the United States and Canada, took him across Latin America in the autumn, as well as the USA once again. In August 2011 Aznavour released a new album, Aznavour Toujours, featuring 11 new songs, and Elle, a French re-working of his greatest international hit, She. Following the release of Aznavour Toujours, 87-years old Aznavour began a tour across France and Europe, named Charles Aznavour en Toute Intimité, which started with 21 concerts in the "Olympia" theatre in Paris.^[26] On December 12, 2011 he gave a concert in Moscow State Kremlin Palace that attracted a capacity crowd.^[27] The concert was followed by standing ovation which continued for about 15 minutes.^[28]

In 2012, Aznavour embarks on a new North American leg of his "En toute intimité" tour, visiting Québec, New York and the Gibson Amphitheatre, the third-largest such venue in California, for multiple shows.

Film[link]

Aznavour has had a long and varied parallel career as an actor, appearing in over 60 films. In 1960 Aznavour starred in François Truffaut's Tirez sur le pianiste, playing a character called Édouard Saroyan. He also put in a critically acclaimed performance in the 1974 movie And Then There Were None. Aznavour had an important supporting role in 1979's The Tin Drum, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1980. Aznavour starred in the 2002 movie Ararat playing Edward Saroyan, a movie director.

Armenia and abroad[link]

Since the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Aznavour has been helping the country through his charity, Aznavour for Armenia. Together with his brother in-law and co-author Georges Garvarentz he wrote the song "Pour toi Arménie", which was performed by a group of famous French artists and topped the charts for 18 weeks. There is a square named after him in central Yerevan on Abovian Street, and a statue erected in Gyumri, which saw the most lives lost in the earthquake. In 1995 Charles Aznavour was appointed an Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO. Aznavour is a member of the Armenia Fund International Board of Trustees. The organization has rendered more than $150 million in humanitarian aid and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia since 1992. Charles Aznavour was appointed as "Officier" (Officer) of the Légion d'honneur in 1997.

In 2004 Aznavour received the title of "National Hero of Armenia" for his humanitarian work, Armenia's highest award. On December 26, 2008, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signed a presidential decree for granting citizenship for the Republic of Armenia to Charles Aznavour whom he called a "prominent singer and public figure" and "a hero of the Armenian people".^[29]

An admirer of Quebec, where he played in Montreal cabarets before becoming famous, he has helped the career of Québécoise singer-songwriter Lynda Lemay in France, and has a house in Montreal. On 5 July 2008, he was invested as an honorary officer of the Order of Canada and performed the following day on the Plains of Abraham as a feature of the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.^[30]

Aznavour and famed Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, with the collaboration of over 40 of France's most celebrated singers and musicians, recorded a music video band aid (clip) in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 Haiti earthquake, titled "1 geste pour Haïti chérie".^[31]

Personal life and cultural impact[link]

Charles Aznavour, a photo by Xavier Thomas.

Aznavour married his third wife, Swede Ulla Thorsell, in 1968. He has 5 children - Seda, Katia, Misha, Nicolas and Patrick. In 1990 he offered insights into his life to writer-director Michael Feeney Callan in his series My Riviera, which was filmed at and around Aznavour's home in Port Grimaud, in the South of France. He currently resides in Geneva, Switzerland.^[32]

His musicality and fame abroad is present in many other areas of pop culture. Aznavour's name was used as the basis for the name of the character Char Aznable by Yoshiyuki Tomino in his anime mecha series, Mobile Suit Gundam. His song "Parce Que Tu Crois" was sampled by Hip Hop producer Dr. Dre for the song "What's the Difference" (feat. Eminem & Xzibit), from his album 2001.^[33] He is mentioned in The Psychedelic Furs song "Sister Europe" ("The radio upon the floor/ is stupid, it plays Aznavour").

He has often joked about his physicality, the most infamous feature of which is his limited height; he stands only 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) tall, and Aznavour has made this a source of self-deprecating humour over the years.

Politics[link]

Charles Aznavour has been increasingly involved in French, Armenian, and international politics as his career has progressed. During the 2002 French presidential elections, when radical right-wing nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front made it into the runoff election, facing incumbent Jacques Chirac, Aznavour signed the "Vive la France" petition, and called on all French to "sing the Marseillaise" in protest.^[34] Chirac, a personal friend of Aznavour's, ended up winning in a landslide, carrying over 82% of the vote.

He has written a song about the Armenian Genocide, titled Ils sont tombés (known in English as "They fell").

He has also campaigned fervently for international copyright law reform. In November 2005 he met with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso^[35] on the issue of the review of term of protection for performers and producers in the EU, advocating an extension of the EU's term of protection from the current 50 years to the United States' law allowing 95 years, saying "[o]n term of protection, artists and record companies are of the same mind. Extension of term of protection would be good for European culture, positive for the European economy and would put an end the current discrimination with the U.S." He has also notably butted heads with French politician Christine Boutin over her defense of a "global license" flat-fee authorization for sharing of copyrighted files over the Internet, claiming that the license would eliminate creativity. In May 2009 the French Senate approved one of the strictest internet anti-piracy bills ever with a landslide 189-14 vote. Aznavour was a vocal proponent of the measure and considered it a rousing victory:

"If the youth can't make a living through creative work, they will do something else and the artistic world will be dealt a blow... There will be no more songs, no more books, nothing at all. So we had to fight..."^[36]

Along with holding the mostly ceremonial title of French ambassador-at-large to Armenia, Aznavour agreed to hold the position of Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland on February 12, 2009:

"First I hesitated, as it is not an easy task. Then I thought that what is important for Armenia is important for us. I have accepted the proposal with love, happiness and feeling of deep dignity"^[37]

Awards and recognition[link]

• 1963, 1971 and 1980 - Edison Awards (three-time awardwinner)^[38]
• 1971 - Golden Lion Honorary Award at the Venice Film Festival for the Italian version of the song Mourir d'aimer
• 1995 - Large Medal of the French Academy
• 1995 - Ambassador of Goodwill and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO^[39]
• 1996 - Induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
• 1997 - French Victoire award for Male artist of the year
• 1997 - Honorary César Award
• 1997 - Officier (Officer) of the Legion d'honneur
• 2004 - National Hero of Armenia^[40]
• 2006 - Honorary prize at 30th Cairo Film Festival
• 2008 - Honorary Officer of the Order of Canada^[41]
• 2008 - Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
• 2009 - MIDEM Lifetime Achievement Award^[42]
• 2009 - Grigor Lusavorich award of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic^[43]
• 2009 - Officer of the National Order of Quebec^[44]
• 2010 - Honorary order "For outstanding contribution to strengthening cultural ties between Russia and France"^[45]

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

• La Guerre des gosses (1936) – Extra
• Adieu chérie (1946) (as Aznavour) – Le duettiste
• Entrez dans la danse (1948)
• Une gosse sensass' (1957) – Le chanteur
• Paris Music Hall (1957) – Charles
• La Tête contre les murs (1959) – Heurtevent
• Les Dragueurs (1959) – Joseph Bouvier
• Pourquoi viens-tu si tard? (1959) – Un danseur
• Oh! Qué mambo (1959) (uncredited) – Un spectateur au cabaret
• Le Testament d'Orphée (1960) (uncredited) – The Curious Man
• Un taxi pour Tobrouk (1960) – Samuel Goldmann
• Tomorrow Is My Turn (Le Passage du Rhin) (1960) – Roger
• Tirez sur le pianiste (1960) – Charlie Kohler/Édouard Saroyan
• Gosse de Paris (1961)
• Les Lions sont lâchés (1961) – Charles, un convive de Marie-Laure
• Esame di guida - tempo di Roma (1962) – Marcello
• Horace 62 (1962) – Horace Fabiani
• Le Diable et les dix commandements (1962) – Denis Mayeux (episode "Homicide point ne seras")
• Les Quatre vérités (1962) – Charles
• Les Vierges (1963) – Berthet
• Cherchez l'Idole (1963) – Aznavour
• Le Rat d'Amérique (1963) – Charles
• Thomas l'imposteur (1964)
• Alta infedeltà (1964) – Giulio (segment "Peccato nel Pomeriggio")
• La Métamorphose des cloportes (1965) – Edmond
• Le Facteur s'en va-t-en guerre (1966) – Thibon
• Paris au mois d'août (1966) – Henri Plantin
• Caroline chérie (1968) – Postillon
• Candy (1968) – Hunchback juggler
• Le Temps des loups (1969) – Inspector
• The Adventurers (1970) – Marcel Campion
• L'Amour (1970) – Le présentateur
• The Games (1970) – Pavel Vendek
• The Selfish Giant (1971) – Narrator (French version)
• Un beau monstre (1971) – Inspector Leroy
• Part des lions (1971) – Éric Chambon
• Les Intrus (1972) – Charles Bernard
• The Blockhouse (1973) – Visconti
• Dix Petits Negres (1974) Dir Peter Colinson, Produit par Gerard Thum
• Ein Unbekannter rechnet ab (1974) – Michel Raven
• Sky Riders (1976) – Insp. Nikolidis
• Folies bourgeoises (1976) – Dr. Lartigue
• Die Blechtrommel (1979) – Sigismund Markus
• Ciao, les mecs (1979) – L'amnésique
• Der Zauberberg (1982) – Naphta
• Qu'est-ce qui fait courir David? (1982) – Léon, le père de David
• Les Fantômes du chapelier (1982) – Kachoudas
• Une jeunesse (1983) – Bellun
• Viva la vie! (1984) – Édouard Takvorian
• Yiddish Connection (1986) – Aaron Rapoport
• Mangeclous (1988) – Jérémie
• Il Maestro (1989) – Romualdi
• Le chinois (1989) – Charles Cotrel
• Charles Aznavour Armenia 1989 (1989)
• Les Années campagne (1992) – Le grand-père/Grandfather
• Pondichéry, dernier comptoir des Indes (1997) – Léo Bauman
• Le Comédien (1997) – Monsieur Maillard
• Laguna (2001)
• Truth About Charlie (2002) – Himself
• Ararat (2002) – Edward Saroyan
• Le Père Goriot (2004) – Jean-Joachim Goriot
• Ennemis publics (2005)
• The Colonel (2006) – Père Rossi
• Up (2009) – Carl Fredricksen (French Voice)

Concerts[link]

Video[link]

• 1977 Großer Unterhaltungsabend – Charles Aznavour (Essen, Germany 1977). VHS Nikkatsu Video Films Co., Ltd./Japan
• 1982 An Evening with Charles Aznavour (Duke of York's Theatre, London 1982). VIP Videocasette Diffusion, VHS SECAM MU 550

Laserdisc[link]

• 1982 An Evening with Charles Aznavour (Duke of York's Theatre, London 1982) [content differs from the video version]

DVD[link]

• 1999 Aznavour Live - Palais des Congrès 97/98 (EMI)
• 2001 Aznavour Live - Olympia 68/72/78/80 (EMI)
• 2001 Charles Aznavour au Carnegie Hall (New York, June 1996) (EMI)
• 2001 AZNAVOUR – Pour toi Arménie (At Erevan Opera, September 1996)
• 2002 Patrick Bruel – Entre-Deux (C. Aznavour sings Parlez-moi d'amour [with Patrick Bruel])
• 2003 AZNAVOUR LIVE – Palais des Congrès 1994 (EMI)
• 2004 Aznavour – Minelli au Palais des Congrès de Paris (EMI)
• 2004 Toronto 1980 (as a Bonus to the Aznavour/Indispensables CD Boxset) (EMI)
• 2004 80, Bon Anniversaire Charles – Palais des congrès 2004 (EMI)
• 2004 Bon anniversaire Charles! (TV broadcast concert for Charles Aznavour 80th anniversary, May 22, 2004) (EMI)
• 2005 Charles Aznavour 2000 – Concert intégral (EMI)
• 2006 The Royal Opera – Die Fledermaus (Covent Garden, London 31-12-1983) (C. Aznavour sings She)
• 2007 Charles Aznavour : En concert à Erevan (EMI)
• 2007 Aznavour - Palais des Congrès de Paris (1987) [not the same concert as the CD version] (EMI)
• 2008 Charles Aznavour et ses amis au Palais Garnier (EMI)
• 2009 Anthologie 1955–1972 - 3 DVD Box Set (PAL Only) (INA / EMI)
• 2010 Anthologie volume 2 1973–1999 - 3 DVD Box Set (PAL Only) (INA / EMI)

FILMS Documentary[link]

• Charles Aznavour - Armenia 1989, (Armenfilm) 1989 color 10min. 35mm. Director Levon Mkrtchyan. The film is about the humanitarian aid that Charles Aznavour, a famous French singer of Armenian origin, brought to Armenia after the Spitak earthquake in 1988.^[46]
• Christmas in Vienna III, A Christmas gala concert live from Vienna on 22 December 1994 with Aznavour, Plácido Domingo and Sissel Kyrkjebø, featuring the Vienna Symphony conducted by famed Croatian conductor Vjekoslav Šutej.
• Making of "Colore ma vie", A making-of featurette released in 2007 coinciding with the release of Aznavour's latest studio album, Colore ma vie. Filmed in Havana and Paris, it shows his collaboration with Chucho Valdez and the thoughts, opinions, and artistry the two put into the album.
• Appeared on The Muppet Show Episode 9. Taping Dates: June 29 - July 1, 1976. Original Airdates: January 17, 1977 (New York) and January 22, 1977 (LA)

See also[link]

• Charles Aznavour Museum
• List of best-selling music artists
• Franco-Armenian relations
• Ils Sont Tombés

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Charles Aznavour on imusic.am
• "Portrait de S.E. Charles Aznavour" (in French). Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Switzerland. http://www.armenian.ch/index.php?id=ambassador. Retrieved 2010-02-21. 
• Charles Aznavour at the Internet Movie Database
• Charles Aznavour at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
• Biography by Radio France International
• Charles Aznavour - Armenian-Russian Pages

Live performances[link]

• Charles Aznavour - "Ave Maria" performance
• Charles Aznavour - "Hier encore" performance
• Charles Aznavour - "Paris au mois d'août" performance

Mika Nakashima (中島 美嘉, Nakashima Mika^?, born February 19, 1983 in Hioki, Kagoshima) is a Japanese singer, and actress . She has achieved five number-one albums in Japan and also embarked on an acting career, most notably in the live-action movie Nana, based on the manga of the same name.^[1]

Biography[link]

Early life and debut[link]

Born and raised in Kyushu, Mika was the youngest of three children. She grew up in the small town of Hioki, Kagoshima, where she has said there was "nothing there, only enka." She began listening to enka singer Eiko Segawa and studied classical Japanese dance, but as she loved dressing-up and make-up, she hoped to work in fashion magazines since she was too short to become a model.^[1]

Nakashima decided not to attend high school after completing junior high and began working. At the age of 15 she moved to the city of Fukuoka where she room-shared with two others.^[1]

At the age of 17, she attended an audition not knowing what it was for.^[1] She was chosen from 3,000 girls to be the actress of the fall 2001 Fuji TV drama Kizudarake no Love Song (傷だらけのラブソング, Tainted Love Song^?), in which she played the heroine Mirai Shimazaki,^[1] and also sang the theme song, "Stars."

In November 2001, "Stars" became her debut on Sony Music Associated Records, which would go on to become her best-selling single.

Her second single "Crescent Moon", an 80s themed song, was limited to 100,000 copies. It sold out the first day of its release. In March 2002 she released her third single, "One Survive," and her first video collection, "Film Lotus". This was followed in May by her 4th single, "Helpless Rain", and in August, by her 5th single "Will", which went on to rack up sales of over 140,000. Both were top ten hits and sold around 100,000 copies, proving Nakashima's rising star appeal.^[2]

"True", "Love", and "Music"[link]

Nakashima's first album, True, released in August 2002, was a number 1 hit on the Oricon charts. The album boasted a mature mixture of jazz and adult contemporary pop. In 3 weeks, True sold a million copies, and has sold nearly 1,174,000 copies to date. Then, as a commemoration of one year since her debut, Nakashima released a Premium EP: Resistance, which hit the charts' number 1 spot for two weeks in a row. On December 18, a documentary video, Kiseki: The Document of a Star, was released. In 2002, the singer received the "New Artist of the Year" award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards and "Best New Artist of the Year" at the All Japan Request Awards 2002. She also won the "New Artist of the Year" award from the 44th Japan Record Awards.

Nakashima's second album, Love, which was released in November 2003, sold nearly 1.45 million copies, surpassing that of her debut. The Japan Composers Association awarded Love the Best Album Award. After releasing a second mini-album, Oborozukiyo: Inori, in September 2004, Nakashima topped the Oricon Album Chart again with Music in March 2005, as well as with her first greatest hits album Best in December of that year. Best is the third album by Nakashima to have sold a million copies or more, but like her second album, Best also outsold True in sales - by nearly 30,000 copies.

Debut on the silver screen[link]

In 2005, Nakashima co-starred alongside Aoi Miyazaki in the live-action movie Nana, based on the manga of the same name, which was released September 10, 2005. She also sang one of the theme songs for the movie, which was released as a single under the name "Nana starring Mika Nakashima". The single, titled "Glamorous Sky," was written by the manga's author, Ai Yazawa, and composed by L'Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde. It was Nakashima's only number 1 single on the Oricon Singles Charts. It sold over 423,000 copies in 2005, making it the best-selling female single of the year and the tenth highest selling in the world. The single continued selling well into the next year and sold 444,067 copies, which was about 25,000 copies less than her Nana co-star, Yuna Ito's "Endless Story". The single would be featured in Konami's guitar/drum simulation game GuitarFreaks and Drummania V3, as well as Nintendo's Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2.

Nakashima was nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan as "Best BuzzAsia from Japan" for "Amazing Grace '05", and the "Glamorous Sky" video was nominated as "Best Female Video" and "Best Video from a Film". She won the "Best Video from a Film" award.

Due to the success of Nana, a sequel was released in December, 2006. It included two new songs by Nakashima, again under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima. The theme song to Nana 2 movie was "Hitoiro" (One Color), which has also been written by Yazawa, while the music is composed by Glay's leader, Takuro, also the author of the coupling song, "Eyes for the Moon". Besides the single, Mika released the album The End, featuring all her songs under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima.

On December 18, 2006 Nakashima and Yui Ichikawa came to New York City for the International Premiere of 'Nana 2' at the IFC Center. In 2010 she made her US film debut with a small role in the Sony Pictures film Resident Evil: Afterlife, based on the videogame series Resident Evil.

Memphis & Yes era[link]

Following the release of the Nana movie, Nakashima visited Memphis, Tennessee, and started another project beginning with the heavily gospel-influenced "Cry No More", the ending theme of the anime Blood+.

She also contributed to the New Orleans charity tribute when she teamed up with American musicians Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers and jazz pianist/musician Alan Toussaint. They released the single All Hands Together and as a result of her efforts, she was rewarded with an honorary citizenship of Memphis, Tennessee and a key to the city.^[1]

A month later Mika released another single "My Sugar Cat," which dropped out of the Top 50 a week after its release.

On February 21, 2007 Nakashima's 21st single, "Mienai Hoshi" was released. The single is the theme song for the Japanese drama Haken no Hinkaku (ハケンの品格, lit. Haken's Dignity^?), which aired starting January 10, 2007. The b-side track "I Love You" is a cover of the Ozaki Yutaka ballad. Promotional videos were made for both songs.

On March 14, 2007, Nakashima's 5th studio album, Yes, was released in Japan. The title "Yes" continues Nakashima's trend of having one-word album titles, such as "Love" and "True", excluding the Nana album "The End". Her 22nd single, Sunao na Mama, was released on the same day.

Voice era[link]

Following the release of Yes, Nakashima embarked on her first tour since 2005, Mika Nakashima's Concert Tour 2007 "Yes My Joy", which ended in late July and was subsequently released on DVD on November 7, 2007. Nakashima's 23rd single "Life" as well as "Film Lotus VI", her sixth compilation of music videos, were released in August 2007. "Life" was the theme song for the drama adaptation of the shoujo manga series of the same name by Keiko Suenobu.

Nakashima's 24th single, "Eien no Uta", appeared in October 2007, and was the theme to the movie Southbound. Promotional videos were made for both Eien no Uta and its B-side, a cover of Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To".

Her 25th single, "Sakura: Hanagasumi", was released in March 2008. It reached number 12 on the Oricon chart.

"I Don't Know", Nakashima's 26th single, was her first sung entirely an English. A collaboration with owarai group Morisanchū (森三中^?) it was released under the name MICA 3 CHU (Mikasanchuu) and Nakashima claimed it was her way to "vent my complaints and enjoy doing something really silly. The music of the song was too short to put so many words in Japanese so it was better in English, if I feel like doing it again, there will be more."^[1]

Nakashima's next single, "Orion", was released on November 12, 2008. It was used as an insert song for the TBS drama "Ryusei no Kizuna", in which Nakashima herself appeared in a minor role.^[3][4]

Nakashima's fifth studio album, Voice, was released on November 26, 2008. Voice, which leaned closer to a mainstream yet mature form of adult contemporary pop than her previous albums, was the first album by Nakashima to top the Oricon Album Chart since Best in 2005, and sold over 155,000 copies in its first week of release and over 340,000 copies in total.

Star era[link]

After releasing a new album called No More Rules on March 5, 2009, Nakashima embarked on her fifth tour. This Japan-based tour was called the "Trust Our Voice Tour 2009", which started on April 10, 2009 and concluded in Tokyo at the end of July 2009. She introduced her then-new single, "Over Load", released on May 13, 2009, during the tour.

"Life" ranked number 7 in JASRAC Award 2009: 10 best interactive song.^[5] "Life" was also used in the TV series Life (ライフ^?). The story is based on major school problems such as bullying, rape, abuse, etc. Nakashima's 29th single, "Candy Girl", was released on September 30, 2009, as a collaboration with the fashion brand SLY. Her 30th single, "Nagareboshi", was released on November 4, 2009.

The DVD of Nakashima's "Trust Our Voice Tour 2009", titled "Mika Nakashima Concert Tour 2009 Trust Our Voice", was released in Japan as her first 2-DVD concert release on December 2, 2009.^[6]

Nakashima's 31st single, "Always", was released on January 20, 2010, and was the theme song for the Japanese movie Sayonara Itsuka (サヨナライツカ^?). She also starred in the Japanese supernatural monster film Death Kappa,^[7] which was directed by Tomoo Haraguchi.^[8]

Nakashima's 32nd single, "Ichiban Kirei na Watashi wo" (The Most Beautiful Me; 一番綺麗な私を) appeared on August 25, 2010 as the tie-in song to the TBS drama series, Unubore Deka (Conceited Detective, うぬぼれ刑事).^[9] The drama focused on a story about a male detective that has the illusion of being the "ladies man". He is a romantic but conceited, he tries to convince female criminals, into either marrying him or being arrested. Mika Nakashima plays a role in the show as well. The name of her character in the television series is known as Rie Hagurashi.

On October 22, 2010, she announced she would be pulling out of her first performance at the Nippon Budokan commemorating her 10 year career and that she would be taking a break from singing while recovering from having patulous Eustachian tubes in both her ears. Nakashima's sixth studio album, Star, was released on October 27, 2010^[10]

Trivia[link]

Nakashima has many tattoos, considered taboo in Japanese society, including one of a star on her wrist. She has said "I have resolved to live as a star. I have something linked with the stars because I have so many songs about them." She has also stated that she loves skin imperfections and decorations because "they are beautiful and I can imagine stories of people... hard feelings and pain... from them."^[1]

Nakashima is a frequent visitor to the US for voice-training classes, and rented an apartment near Wall Street, New York in 2009.^[1]

Cover versions[link]

"Yuki no Hana" was one of the most popular karaoke songs in Japan in 2004. It has also been officially covered by numerous artists including Joi Chua, Park Hyo Shin, Seo Young Eun, Han Xue, Vincy Chan, Eric Martin (Mr. Big's vocalist), Hayley Westenra, Hideaki Tokunaga and Gackt. Park Hyo Shin's version was an insert song for the popular Korean drama I'm Sorry, I Love You.

"Find the Way" was covered by Korean singer Bada, who was a member of K-Pop girl group S.E.S..

Other popular covers have been done for "Stars" and "Sakurairo Mau Koro".

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mika Nakashima Official Website (Japanese)
• Mika Nakashima at Allmusic
• Mika Nakashima at the Internet Movie Database