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RIKA SHINOHARA ..........singer / songwriter


With an acoustic guitar,
RIKA SHINOHARA performs alternative acoustic folk/rocks. She sings with her expressive and warm voice and the reflective and intimate lyrics.

Rika writes songs through her daily life. She makes stories about the emotions that you feel in daily life : love, worry, delight, anger, sorrow, happiness and everything.

RIKA SHINOHARA is a real genuine singer/songwriter in Japan. She started performing in the United States in 1999.


 In Japan,
Rika's first single CD 'Catch' appeared in 1991. By 1997, her 7 singles and 3 albums were released from TEICHIKU Records, and 2 singles from Pioneer LDC Records, both are major labels in Japan. These CDs broke into Japanese charts.
In 1998, she and her fellows established her own label and released 1 cassette tape, " 6 pieces cookie " which she sold at live shows.
In 2000 and 2001, Rika released 2 albums continuously, " The Songs of My Days " and　" Daylight " from Redberry Records, her own label. You will be able to hear energetic and mellow songs in both albums.

Rika has been continuing a lot of gigs at a variety of clubs, venues and cd-stores especially in Tokyo and Osaka area, playing solo acoustic performances or with band, and this is building many followings. In 2001 she had over 80 acts!


 In the United States,
RIKA started her musical action in October 1999, getting a chance to participate in NXNW in Portland. Since then, in order to carry out tours, she has flown to the United States 4 times. She has toured around the West Coast: Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco and San Diego: and she also appeared on the festival, SXSW and NXNW. Especially in San Francisco and San Diego, she is getting a lot of fans after her performance. The audience was taken by her with not only her live performances but also her songs and voices. Rika's U.S.tours were big success everywhere.

RIKA made one cassette tape for the U.S. fans, including 5 songs that she sings in English.
It was named " 5 pieces cookie ". All tapes that were carried from Japan were sold out whenever she went on tour.

In 2001 autumn, Rika was selected as 10 finalists, category of world, by The U.S.A. Songwriting Competition. ....... Look here!

    Now Rika is looking for record labels or deals in the U.S., and she is strongly wishing to gain a recording contract to let her music out in the United States. Here is her intention to perform in front of more audiences especially in the US region.



*LIVE in USA*
after 1999
1999
October 1 .....NXNW Music festival at Tugboat Brew Pub (Portland, OR)


2000 [RIKA's The first tour in USA 2000 Spring]
March 11 .....The Rain Dancer (Seattle,WA)
13 .....The Tractor Tavern (Seattle,WA)
14 .....Paradise Lounge (San Francisco,CA)
16 .....SXSW music fes in Austin TX at Pecan St. Ale House



[RIKA's The 2nd tour in USA 2000 Autumn]
September 15 .....Claire de Lune (San Diego,CA)
16 .....Mirage Coffee (San Diego,CA)
18 .....Make Out Room (San Francisco,CA)
19 .....Paradise Lounge (San Francisco,CA)
23 .....NXNW music fes in Portland,CA at Tagboat Brew Pub)


2001 [RIKA's The 3rd tour in USA 2001 Spring]
March 13 .....Mirage Coffee (San Diego,CA)
14 .....Mirage Coffee (San Diego,CA)

.....Claire de Lune (San Diego,CA)
16 .....SXSW music fes in Austin, TX at the Loft
19 .....UC Berkeley (San Francisco,CA)

.....Paradise Lounge 2nd floor (San Francisco,CA)
20 .....Paradise Lounge Main floor (San Francisco,CA)
22 .....Tagboat Brew Pub (Portland, OR)
23 .....Sunset Tavern (Seattle, WA)
24 .....Shakabrah Java (Tacoma, WA)



*Reviews on internet*

none better than the wonderful pop song "Headphone" from Rika Shinohara, while some electronica from Slytraibs on "Style" sits well in this company. Loads to check out here & a real eye opener if you haven't been fortunate to come across anything from Japan before.
-hEARd - http://www.ozemail.com.au/~hmag or http://heard.com.au


Rika Shinohara has fine-tuned the Lilith Fair sound and turned it Japanese. Bits of Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and of course, Joni Mitchell run through her songs. She sings both in Japanese and English. She sounds more confident in Japanese. She still has a nice sound and plenty of charisma.
-www.ink19.com/


It's almost easy to dismiss Shinohara Rika as another woman indie singer-songwriter, but two things prevent that from happening.

First, Shinohara is a musical rarity. All the Japanese women I've run into have either been idols or members of punk outfits. Idol pop singers, by their nature, aren't exactly towering figures of feminism and all-girl bands such as Shonen Knife, Lolita No. 18 or Mummy the Peepshow are group-oriented.
By aligning herself with Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega and Lisa Loeb, Shinohara asserts her individuality -- something quite outside of the Japanese norm, especially in terms of idols and punk girl groups.

Second, Shinohara writes some really good songs. Don't let the subdued arrangements give a wrong first impression. Repeated listenings and Shinohara's full alto reveal the simple beauty of her melodies.
-musicwhore.org/


Discovered this Japanese folk-rock artist on mp3.com awhile ago; great stuff, and she sings in both English and 'Nihongo' (great for budding Japan-o-philes like myself). You owe it to yourself to check her out.
-LUXURIA MUSIC.COM


She comes to us from clear across the Pacific Ocean. And what a blessing her visit is. Rika Shinohara's music sounds like much of the contemporary folk we're used to hearing on the radio. But it's not. Being spawned halfway around the globe from our American pop scene means an inherent exoticism (to us, at least). It's so subtle that many people won't catch it, or will mistake it for being simply unique. Yet Rika is simultaneously compiling both her music and herself into a striking hybrid that straddles both East and West.
-- Dylan Roberts -digitalcity.com


*LIVE in JAPAN*
after 2000
2000
January 11 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que
21 .....Ekoda Marquee
23 .....Nishiogikubo Turning
March 20 .....Shibuya ON AIR nest
April 26 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que
June 24 .....Shibuya 7th Floor (RIKA's event)
July 21 .....Ogikubo ROOSTER
26 .....Shinsaibashi NEST SALOON
27 .....Kobe T2 Gakuya
August 1 .....Shibuya ON AIR nest
15 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que (women's event [Girlies])
September 12 .....Kichijoji ON AIR Planet K
26 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que
October 6 .....Sapporo Blues Alley (MIX2000)
7 .....Sapporo moon soon (MIX2000)
15 .....ON AIR EAST (ON AIR FESTIVAL Vol.5)
27 .....Shinsaibashi MUSEHALL
November 25 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que


2001
February 23 .....Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
27 .....Shinsaibashi MUSEHALL
28 .....Kyoto MUSEHALL
March 3 .....Minami-Machida GRANDBERRY MALL (event)
4 .....Shibuya nest
April 4 .....Yoyogi Yagai Ongakudou (event)
June 2 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que
3 .....Kohenji Marbletron SALON
18 .....Shinsaibashi MUSEHALL
19 .....Kyoto MUSEHALL
20 .....Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
August 13 .....Yokohama LANDMARK PLAZA (event)
18 .....Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
October 8 .....Shin-Yokohama BELL'S
14 .....Yokohama Thumbs Up (women's event [Girlies])
29 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que
31 .....Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
November 2 .....Kohenji Marbletron SALON
6 .....Shin-Yokohama BELL'S
12 .....Nishi-kujou BRAND NEW
16 .....Hamamatsu Sta. Information Center (FM event)
20 .....Omiya HEARTS
December 1 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que
3 .....Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
4 .....Shinsaibashi THE NEST SALOON
2002
January 14 .....Shin-Yokohama BELL'S
March 15 .....Shimokitazawa +add Cafe (event)
April 4 .....Futako-Tamagawa PINK NOISE (event)
21 .....Nagoya Wakamiya-Ohdori Park (event)
27 .....Shimokitazawa +add Cafe (event)
June 1 .....Shimokitazawa +add Cafe
14 .....Shimokitazawa Live Bar BIG MOUTH
July 6 .....Shimokitazawa +add Cafe
August 3 .....Shimokitazawa +add Cafe
September 14 .....Shibuya NEST (event [Tokyo Hyakka Bessatsu Vol.4])
October 3 .....Shibuya TOWER RECORDS (in the city japan 2002)
17 .....Yokohama Thumbs Up
November 16 .....Shibuya NEST (event [Tokyo Hyakka Bessatsu Special Vol.5])
December 14 .....Shibuya NEST (event [Tokyo Hyakka Bessatsu Vol.6])
20 .....Shimokitazawa +add Cafe
28 .....Shibuya ON AIR WEST (event [Tokyo Hyakka Vol.31])
2003
February 11 .....Shibuya 7th floor
March 20 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
26~29 .....Shimokitazawa +add Cafe
April 22 .....Shibuya 7th floor
May 14 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
June 21 .....Shimokitazawa 440
July 18 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
August 30 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
September 12 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
October 18 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que (event [Shimokita Shuwacchi!])
19 .....Shimokitazawa CLUB Que (event [Shimokita Shuwacchi!])
December 2 .....Shibuya 7th floor
2004
January 6 .....Shibuya 7th FLOOR
April 14 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
May 5 .....Ekoda Marquee
June 18 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
28 .....Umeda BANANA HALL
July 17 .....Shibuya 7th FLOOR
August 20 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2 (Rika's Birthday!!)
September 5 .....Shimokitazawa mona records
October 6 .....Shibuya 7th FLOOR
10 .....Shimokitazawa mona records (event [Shimokita Shuwacchi!])
16 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2 [Kichijoji Sisters]
November 20 .....Shibuya 7th FLOOR [Kichijoji Sisters]
December 2 .....Shibuya 7th FLOOR
4 .....Kyoto Negaposi [Kichijoji Sisters]
31 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2 [Kichijoji Sisters]
2005
February 28 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
April 4 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2
May 4 .....Ebisu YEBISU∞switch
September 17 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2[Kichijoji Sisters]
18 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2[Kichijoji Sisters]
October 21 .....Ebisu YEBISU∞switch
November 23 .....Ekoda Marquee
30 .....Kichijoji MANDA-LA 2 (Chorus)
December 22 .....Shibuya 7th FLOOR
2006
January 8 .....Ebisu YEBISU∞switch
April 14 .....Ebisu YEBISU∞switch

to be continued...




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