When most people talk about anisong, there will be few that do not know angela. angela has been a mainstay of the anisong industry since 2003. Powered by atsuko‘s smooth and versatile powerhouse vocals and KATSU‘s energetic guitar playing, the pair that form angela are often one of the highlights on stage at any anisong festival.
Atsuko and KATSU formed angela when they met in a music school in Tokyo in 1993. In 1999, they released a single called “memories” which flew under most people’s radars. The pair continued to perform on the streets in Tokyo but by 2003, the duo were beginning to feel dishearten.
atsuko, “11 years ago we thought about disbanding. Our producer asked us to try and sing anisong and that was the beginning for us. If there was no anisong, we would have disbanded. We found that we were able to express ourselves best in anisong.”
atsuko, “I love anisong, yes. We love anisong.”
KATSU, “Forever!”
Switching to anisong proved to be a major turning point for the band. They provided four songs for the 2003 anime series Stellvia of the Universe with “Asu e no Brilliant Road” becoming a smashing hit with listeners. That was followed up soon by another of angela’s signature songs “Shangri-la”, the theme song for the anime series “Souukyu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor”.
atsuko, “When we started, of course a lot of people didn’t know us yet. But recently, we’ve had opportunities to go to various countries to perform and many people tell us that they know angela. Even though it’s the first time we’ve been to that country, they are able to sing with us. We come from a small country. That our songs can be heard in the wide world, we really appreciate it. In order to convey their feelings to the fans, we want to write more and more interesting songs.”
And they have indeed, with songs like “Boku Jaa Nai” and the award-winning “Sidonia” adding to their ever growing arsenal of songs that that fans love to dance and sing along with at their lives.
But angela’s appeal on stage isn’t just because of their compelling music. The duo have an ability to connect with the audience that few other bands can. The band often jokes with the audience at their lives. At the AFA2014 I Love Anisong live, one of their running jokes was that KATSU was looking for a wife. That set quite a few hearts aflutter.
Atsuko, “We sing a lot of serious anime songs and so we know we have to sing them seriously but when we see the audience we get excited and want our voices to reach out to everyone. It’s hard to control looking serious and feeling excited at the same time. It’s tough!”
Even though many of angela’s songs are serious, the duo’s jovial nature often comes through not just on-stage but also off-stage.
When asked if they had any tips on mastering Aoi Haru, one the fastest songs they’ve ever written,
atusko, “First, remember the lyrics.” (laughs)
When asked if angela would like to hold a one man live in Singapore, this is what they had to say.
KATSU, “Of course. I wonder if we can join the Lantis Matsuri.”
While there is no way we’ll see angela perform at the Lantis Matsuri in Singapore, fans in Singapore can still hope to see the band in a one man live in Singapore someday.
angela will be performing at the first ever Anime Festival Asia Thailand 2015 in May of this year! So miss them!
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