SANDII (JAPAN)
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Generally available, now booking 2008/9
Approximately 8-13 performers including dancers.
Sandii (Suzuki) is already one of the most successful Japanese artists overseas, and certainly one of the most accessible. Her music has been championed over the years by a succession of musicians from David Bowie and the Eurythmics to David Sylvian and Sly & Robbie. She has evolved from an effervescent rock singer to a graceful singer of Asian and 'world' styles. In 2004 she is celebrating her 30th year as a performer.
Since 1996 she has concentrated on the music of Hawaii, in a series of superb albums. In addition to her graceful voice she is a Hula teacher and has graduated as a dancer and chanter. Her most recent album 'Sandii's Lemurian Heart' combines Hawaiian with elements of Asian music from Okinawa, Indonesia and Malaysia, plus Jamaica and traces of Madagascar, the Indian Ocean and other Pacific Ocean music. Her entrancing live show is centered around Hawaii, with other Japanese musicians and Hula dancers. Spectacular visually, and totally captivating. In 2004 Sandii performed this show at the Montreaux Jazz Festival.
Sandii began her solo career with the album "Eating Pleasure", produced by Haruomi Hosono of YMO fame, released in 1980 to remarkable critical acclaim and quickly gaining attention overseas. After touring Europe, she formed the group Sandii and the Sunsetz with top producer Makoto Kubota. During the 80s, Sandii & the Sunsetz toured throughout the United Kingdom, Holland and Australia as support act for groups such as Japan, INXS, Eurythmics, Talking Heads and The Pretenders They headlined a tour of Australia and reached number 2 in the Australian national charts with the song "Sticky Music". Britain's Melody Maker wrote that Sandii combined the striking looks of Debbie Harry with a voice to rival Kate Bush.
In the latter half of the 1980s, Sandii and the Sunsetz toured in the United States and Canada and took part in the tenth annual "Reggae Sunsplash" with Maxi Priest and Ziggy Marley.The beginning of the 1990s saw Sandii turn her attention towards the rest of Asia, and to create for the first time a pan-Asian music scene. Now recording as a solo artist,Mercy was released in 199 0. Also featuring Singaporean Dick Lee, the album's songs included Japanese favourites such as Sakura and Sukiyaki but mixed with Indonesian and Malaysian flavours. This theme was further explored on the 1992 release Pacifica, the borders stretching further to include Polynesia and Hawaii. 1993's Airmata was devoted entirely to Indonesian dangdut and Melayu classic songs sung in the native languages. The following year saw Sandii going more global than ever with Dream Catcher. Sung in English, French, Japanese and Indonesian, recorded and mixed in Malaysia, London, Singapore, Indonesia and New York and encompassing musical styles as diverse as dangdut, rap, ragamuffin, Brazilian pop and West African guitar.Songs from Dream Catcher were later remixed by top producers including Ray Hayden, Sly Dunbar and Bally Sagoo on World Remix.
With Watashi released in January 1996, Sandii delved deeper into the music of Brazil, producing an album with a late-night feel together with the now trademark Indonesian, Malaysian and even Turkish elements.
In the same year, Sandii released her first album of Hawaiian album, titled 'Sandii's Hawaii', where she explored the music of her birthplace. Some of the songs she learnt while dancing hula in Hawaii with Bella Richards of Kailua Oahu. Sandii's Hawaii took Tokyo by storm in the summer of 1996, and became the best selling Hawaiian music album for many years. She has subsequently released 2 more Sandii's Hawaii volumes, recorded with her new group on Sandii with the Coconut Groups, recorded with Hawaiian pianist Rene Paulo, added dance music Tiki Tiki, and featured the ukuele on Ukulele Dreaming.
Sandii is truly a world class act, in the prime of her career and doing what she loves and does best.