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19th July 2003 07:11 PM |
[article] A-nation under a groove
From the Yomiuri:
Quote:
POPCETERA? / A-nation under a groove
Rori Caffrey / Special to The Daily Yomiuri
Along with cicadas and kakigori booths, music festivals are a sure part of summer in Japan. There's a festival to match the taste of anyone whose musical preference runs a bit off the mainstream, whether it be alternative rock (Summer Sonic), reggae (Reggae Japansplash), jazz (Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival), or techno (Wire03). For fans of music that falls smack dab in the midpoint of mainstream, the A-nation Avex Summer Festa is the festival for you.
The music label behind this seven-city 12-concert J-pop jamboree is Avex. To its credit, Avex has quite a varied roster, with well-known rap (Buddha Brand), rock (DMBQ), house (Towa Tei), and ska (Rude Bones) artists in their stable. It's their chart-topping, million-selling, variety show-friendly acts like V6, Max and Da Pump they're best known for, though. These artists have helped tag Avex as the J-pop music label, an image only strengthened by their addition to the stock of summer festivals.
A-nation is a traveling showcase of Avex's hottest acts, who are coincidentally the biggest and brightest names on the Japanese pop chart--Ayumi Hamasaki, Exile, Hitomi, BoA, and many others. But just because the music is mainstream doesn't mean the event is bland. With two stages of back-to-back music and a concourse full of cool and creative attractions, A-nation looks enticing even to those who can't tell Every Little Thing from any other thing.
The music is the event's key attraction, with the main stage lineup reading like a rundown of the month's top-selling singles. Headlining the festival is pop group Every Little Thing. They went from a trio to a duo a few years ago, but their soft pop sound and popularity hasn't budged since they debuted in 1996.
Co-headliner Ayumi Hamasaki is the trend-setting gal you can thank or blame (depending on your taste) for much of the fashion sported by young urban ladies. Rose-tinted '70s shades, jeans rolled up over stiletto boots, Farrah Fawcett hairdos--she started them. Her music, high-energy pop that borrows greatly from the Eurobeat dance sound, is just as popular as her look.
Also sharing the main stage are BoA, Exile, and Do As Infinity, all of whom are hot topics as of late. Not only has 16-year-old Korean singer BoA replaced Britney Spears as the Skecher sneakers' campaign girl, signed on for a Hong Kong action flick, been interviewed on PBS, and met with South Korea's prime minister, she's become the most successful foreign artist in Japan's domestic pop market. On the strength of their hit "Together," the six-man R&B outfit Exile was recently the subject of an MBS documentary. The coed duo Do As Infinity resurfaced last month with "Would You Marry Me?" their first single in almost a year and one of their most popular.
Vocalist Kumi Koda, eight-member girl group Dream, and young pop trio Day After Tomorrow round out the main stage roster. The secondary Community stage features the bilingual rapping sisters Heartsdales, male pop duo Breath, and solo artists Hitomi, Lisa (formerly of m-flo), and Nao.
The A-nation concert gives its audience the rare chance to see not only today's biggest names in pop, but possibly tomorrow's as well. In addition to the Main and Community stages, smaller stages will be set up where local hopefuls can audition for Avex in the areas of singing, dancing and musical theater. If you need a break from the performances, the Cyber Trance dance area, sports event and marketplace offer refuge.
All A-nation dates fall conveniently on weekends, and its 6,800 yen admission is a bargain considering you would drop around the same amount to see any one of the main stage acts on their own tour. Aside from being a boon for fanatical pop fans, A-nation is a great primer for those wanting an introduction to the J-pop scene.
A-nation Avex Summer Festa will kick off its seven-venue tour at Kasai Rinkai Park, Tokyo on July 19-20. Call (0180) 993-999 or visit www.a-nation.net
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[Edited by AHS Staff]
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