Haruko Kuwana

Haruko Kuwana

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About Haruko Kuwana

Haruko Kuwana 桑名晴子 (born May 19, 1956) is a singer-songwriter from Osaka born in 1956. Known for her funky and soulful City Pop tunes, she made her solo debut in 1978 with the release of Million Stars, and was most prolific during the '80s and '90s. While not active in the mainstream, she is still playing live gigs under the stage name HALKO. The most unique album in her catalog is easily her fourth album Moonlight Island. Released November 25, 1982 under Japan Records, the album features covers of various kayokyoku & New Music from the 1970's all given an urban AOR/City Pop sheen, covers of everyone from Haruomi Hosono (細野晴臣), to Tatsuro Yamashita’s (山下達郎) band Sugar Babe, to Haruko's very own brother, Masahiro Kuwana (桑名正博). According to Haruko herself, the** sales point for this album was the “sound of waves”, and she wanted to give each of the songs a more “tropical” and “resort” vibe to the music, inspired by her residency in the Shonan-Fujisawa, the center of the “Surfer/Beach” Lifestyle in Kanagawa, Japan. Apparently, during this time, Haruko was also an assistant for the local Kanagawa TV program called Funky Tomato, on their surfing news segment, and she ended up living in that area for 14 years. Haruko collaborated with the rock band AB's during the album's production, with Fujimaru Yoshino (芳野恭郎) & Makoto Matsushita (松下誠) on guitar, Naoki Watanabe (渡辺直樹) on bass, Atsuo Okamoto (岡本郭男) on drums, and pianist Yoshihiko Ando (安藤芳彦). AOR Crooner, Yasahiro Abe (安部恭弘) was the assistant sound engineer on the album.

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