Dorlis | Profile

The artists know as Dorlis swings with such ease and lack of pretense that it's hard to believe she is only 23. Born and raised in Okayama, Dorlis began studying classical guitar as a child, later singing on the streets from age 17. After dropping out of high school she hit the road, hitchhiking through Japan and playing on the streets along the way, wowing passersby with her jazz and swing influenced playing and smooth singing style. Returning to her hometown, Dorlis hit the streets again, where she happened to be spotted by famed producer Ken Matsubara (Misia, Ken Hirai, BoA), who commented that her music evoked strongly nostalgic feelings inside of him, like looking at a photograph of somebody long gone. Dorlis soon had a deal with Matsubara's Supa Love imprint, which released her first single "Hitorigoto mitai ni ai shite ita" in December, 2002. Over the next year and a half, the buzz on Dorlis grew, and she released three more singles followed by the full-length Swingin' Street in January, 2004. In January, 2005, Dorlis made it to the majors, signing a deal with Victor Entertainment, which released her debut single "Mariposa". She released two more singles in the first half of the year, including the theme song to the drama Kegareta Shita, entitled . In June, she released her first full-length for Victor, Swingin' Street 2. In addition to her effortless vocal delivery and serious guitar chops, Dorlis' back up band is alway... Read More

by Bill Haw

The artists know as Dorlis swings with such ease and lack of pretense that it's hard to believe she is only 23. Born and raised in Okayama, Dorlis began studying classical guitar as a child, later singing on the streets from age 17. After dropping out of high school she hit the road, hitchhiking through Japan and playing on the streets along the way, wowing passersby with her jazz and swing influenced playing and smooth singing style. Returning to her hometown, Dorlis hit the streets again, where she happened to be spotted by famed producer Ken Matsubara (Misia, Ken Hirai, BoA), who commented that her music evoked strongly nostalgic feelings inside of him, like looking at a photograph of somebody long gone. Dorlis soon had a deal with Matsubara's Supa Love imprint, which released her first single "Hitorigoto mitai ni ai shite ita" in December, 2002. Over the next year and a half, the buzz on Dorlis grew, and she released three more singles followed by the full-length Swingin' Street in January, 2004. In January, 2005, Dorlis made it to the majors, signing a deal with Victor Entertainment, which released her debut single "Mariposa". She released two more singles in the first half of the year, including the theme song to the drama Kegareta Shita, entitled . In June, she released her first full-length for Victor, Swingin' Street 2. In addition to her effortless vocal delivery and serious guitar chops, Dorlis' back up band is always spot on, and the nimble violin that often trades licks with her guitar recalls the interplay of Stephane Grapelli and Django Reinhardt. Also of note are Dorlis' always stylish album covers, done by artist Yuka Maeda.  Collapse

by Bill Haw