Japan maintains a strong love for bossa nova music, which nicely complements its thousands of stylish cafes and retail stores, and singer/songwriter/guitaritst Lisa Ono is the undisputed queen of this thriving scene. Born in São Paulo and raised in Japan from age 10,Ono was musically influenced by her father, a bossa nova fan who at one time managed the legendary Baden Powell and owned music clubs in both Brazil and Japan. Saci-Pererê, one of her father's establishments in Japan, was the... read more

Japan maintains a strong love for bossa nova music, which nicely complements its thousands of stylish cafes and retail stores, and singer/songwriter/guitaritst Lisa Ono is the undisputed queen of this thriving scene. Born in São Paulo and raised in Japan from age 10,Ono was musically influenced by her father, a bossa nova fan who at one time managed the legendary Baden Powell and owned music clubs in both Brazil and Japan. Saci-Pererê, one of her father's establishments in Japan, was the site of her debut. Her first album, Catupiry, was released in 1989, and she has released records at the pace of roughly one per year since that time. Her 1991 album Nanã received Japan's "Grand Prix Gold Disk Award for Jazz", with her third album Menina garnering the same honor several years later. The following year, 1994, saw Ono working with Tom Jobim, Sivuca, Danolo Caymmi, and other bossa luminaries on Esperança, cementing her status as a bona fide bossa artist. Subsequent years spawned more high profile collaborations, with Ono starting her own label, Nanã, in 1999 with the aim of promoting Brazilian music in Japan. Her 1999 release Dream, a set of 40s and 50s American film music done bossa style and recorded in the United States, sold an impressive 200,000 copies. Ono's prolifacy continued into the 21st century, as she branched out further from straight bossa to release Boas Festas (holiday music), Bossa Hula Nova (Hawaiian music), Questa Bossa Mia (Italian music), and Dans Mon Ile (French music). The year 2004 saw the release of Naima, an African influenced affair that saw Ono continuing in the international vein. She continues to release prolifically, playing live internationally and occasionally penning music for commercials. collapse