KANAU KANAU

Artist Profile

• AYA KAGURA

  Poet, Singer Born in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, the easternmost city on Japans main island, she is now based in Fujisawa, Kanagawa. Awakening early to the joy of self expression, she began writing lyrics and composing music at the age of eight. Grounded in the themes of Love, the Power of Words, and Prayer, she delivers music charged with energy, ranging from song and rap to requiems and ceremonial offerings. Her expression is carried by the forceful kotodama, meaning the spiritual power of words, combined with a richly overtone laden and unusually deep voice. Her path as a singer was shaped by the music of the late 1990s, with influences including UA, Misia, Sugar Soul, bird, and Momoe Shimano. Determined to turn what she once considered a complex, her low and thick voice, into a strength, she began performing on the streets and in clubs in 2000. Influenced by Hip Hop Soul and New Jack Swing, she became known for expressive performances built on one loop structures. In 2011, her hometown was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake. After a period during which she was unable to sing, she later founded FAR EAST BAY RECORDS under the name KAGURA SUNSHINE. In 2015, she released Sun Is Shining, with music produced by Yakkle, featuring Philadelphia based female rapper Steph Pockets and DJ Kou. In 2017, under the production of DJ SHARK, she released her first 7 inch vinyl, Tsuki de Aimashou, Let Us Meet on the Moon. The record sold out at multiple stores shortly after release and drew wide attention. In 2018, responding to requests from vinyl DJs, she released her second 7 inch record, STAY WITH ME / Konya wa PARTY MAKER. That same year, she was selected and interviewed by a media outlet in the United States as one of 20 Female Japanese MCs Changing the World of Hip Hop. In 2020, she released her third 7 inch vinyl, Konya wa PARTY MAKER REMIXES. Around this time, her growing passion for scratching led her to study at the DJ Miyajima school and participate in scratch battles, becoming a rare and widely discussed example of a female singer entering this field. On July 5, 2025, she headlined the Amaterasu Stage at Festival Manmaru, organized by writer Mitsuro Sato. On the winter solstice, December 22, 2025, she released Kanau Kanau, recorded with Hokkaido born tonkori songwriter Tatsuro Shintani. Drawing on her rich sensitivity and intuitive perception, she also offers voice training focused on emotional release and vibrational alignment, healing sessions using kagura bells, and private sessions. Looking ahead, she plans to place greater emphasis on vocal offerings and ceremonial performances at sacred sites and shrines in Japan and around the world.

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