Released his first solo album "Amenohi" produced by Takashi Fujii.
Comedian Akira Kawashima participated in the omnibus album "SLENDERIE ideal" produced by Takashi Fujii in 2020. His song "where are you" attracted attention for its refreshing and straightforward singing voice, which is hard to imagine from his familiar low voice.
About five years have passed since then, and Kawashima's first solo album, "Amenohi," produced by Fujii, has been completed.
The songs are produced by artists from across genres and generations, including Oe Senri, Dojima Kohei, Nakazaki Hideya, She Her Her Hers, and Le Makeup.
Akira Kawashima 's participation in the omnibus album produced by Takashi Fujii began with a private karaoke session.
"He was surprised at how my voice sounds when I sing. He seemed to like my voice, and before I knew it, we were talking about a live show and an album. I found out later that he had been looking up my vocal range on his smartphone while we were singing at karaoke (laughs)."
This year, he has decided to release his first solo album. Fujii's direction is consistently positive. Kawashima calls him a "genius of consideration."
"During the recording, he never says anything negative like, 'Fix this'. He brightens up the atmosphere by saying, 'That was amazing!' Sometimes he'll use unique metaphors like, 'It's like having your eyes above water' (laughs), and as he compliments me, I felt like the key was expanding."
This album will include six songs written specifically for this occasion by a number of talented artists.
"When comedians sing, they tend to act silly, get embarrassed, and get teased. That kind of atmosphere inevitably comes out. But I absolutely did not want to do that. After all, such amazing people had written songs for me. I wanted to sing with confidence as a 'singer' myself."
He has been in the entertainment industry for 25 years, working in stand-up comedy, variety shows, MCing, and music. He may seem to have skillfully traversed many fields, but he says he is not the type to forge his own path.
"I'm really lucky. Whenever I've been invited in a direction, it's always turned out to be the right decision. That was the case this time as well. I've never failed by doing what Fujii-san told me to do. In fact, I've been able to see scenery I've never seen before. When I'm scared of trying something new, I make sure I'm well prepared. When I'm confident, I'm confident. With that determination, I try to face the work I've been entrusted with every day."
