Born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1986 to a Japanese mother and half-Japanese father, Beni Arashiro is the first member of the all-girl Bishojo Club 31 to simultaneously pursue a career as a solo artist. Born into a musical family and taking up piano at a young age, the bilingual Arashiro was exposed to both Japanese and overseas music by her parents early on. With the dream of becoming a professional singer, she participated in the Kokuminteki Bishojo Contest, Japan's largest talent contest, making it all the way to the finals without the benefit of any formal training - no mean feat in a country where the grooming of idols is a megabusiness. Arashiro's demo tape made the rounds at Avex Trax, prompting the A&R people there to take a chance on her. While her style was still rough and she lacked vocal training, her clear voice and natural beauty marked her as a natural talent, and her native English pronunciation was also seen as an added asset and potential selling point. She released her first four singles, "Harmony", "Infinite...", "Here Alone", and "Miracle" between June 2004 and February. Her first album,
Beni, was released in February 2005. The record sees Arashiro trying her hand at several different pop styles, from straight dance music to gospel, while at the same time emphasizing the fact that she has yet to develop to her full potential. The record received minimal promotion and barely registered on the charts, but Avex appears to consider Arashiro an id...
Read More
Born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1986 to a Japanese mother and half-Japanese father, Beni Arashiro is the first member of the all-girl Bishojo Club 31 to simultaneously pursue a career as a solo artist. Born into a musical family and taking up piano at a young age, the bilingual Arashiro was exposed to both Japanese and overseas music by her parents early on. With the dream of becoming a professional singer, she participated in the Kokuminteki Bishojo Contest, Japan's largest talent contest, making it all the way to the finals without the benefit of any formal training - no mean feat in a country where the grooming of idols is a megabusiness. Arashiro's demo tape made the rounds at Avex Trax, prompting the A&R people there to take a chance on her. While her style was still rough and she lacked vocal training, her clear voice and natural beauty marked her as a natural talent, and her native English pronunciation was also seen as an added asset and potential selling point. She released her first four singles, "Harmony", "Infinite...", "Here Alone", and "Miracle" between June 2004 and February. Her first album,
Beni, was released in February 2005. The record sees Arashiro trying her hand at several different pop styles, from straight dance music to gospel, while at the same time emphasizing the fact that she has yet to develop to her full potential. The record received minimal promotion and barely registered on the charts, but Avex appears to consider Arashiro an idol in progress, and seems willing to be patient. In addition to music, Arashiro appears on television frequently, and has appeared in television spots for several companies, including Takara, Jockey, and Kosei Cosmetics.
Collapse
