Begin (band)
Begin (ビギン, Bigin, IPA: [biɡiɴ], stylized as BEGIN) is a Japanese pop rock group from Ishigaki Island in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Their sound contains many elements of traditional Okinawan music, and prominently features the sanshin.
History
The members of Begin – EishÅ Higa (æ¯”å˜‰æ „æ˜‡) (sanshin, vocals), Masaru Shimabukuro (島袋優) (guitar), and Hitoshi Uechi (上地ç‰) (piano) – are all from Ishigaki Island. They have been friends since elementary school. They also attended the same senior high school but upon graduation all intended to go their separate ways. One day, EishÅ gathered the members together again and they began to focus on music. On December 5, 1988, they sang at a friend's wedding, calling themselves "Begin" for the first time. Soon they began to become famous. As of 13 November 2006 they have released 22 singles, 24 albums and 8 DVDs.
Perhaps their most famous song is "Nada SÅsÅ", a collaboration between Begin and RyÅko Moriyama. Begin has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. They are also the performers of the "Ichariba Ohana" and "Izayoi Yoi", the opening and first ending themes of the Disney-produced anime series Stitch!.
Selected songs
- "Blue Snow" (1990)
- "Koishikute" (æ‹ã—ãã¦, 1990)
- "Sora ni hoshi ga aru yÅni" (空ã«æ˜ŸãŒã‚るよã†ã«, 1997, 2000)
- "Nada SÅsÅ" (涙ãã†ãã†, 2000)
- "Akari" (ç¯ã‚Š, 2001)
- "Shimanchu nu Takara" (島人ã¬å®, 2002)
- "Sanshin no hana" (三線ã®èŠ±, 2006)
- "Egao no manma" (笑顔ã®ã¾ã‚“ã¾, 2009)
Discography
Singles
# |
Release Date[1] |
Title |
Highest Oricon chart rank |
Comments |
1st |
1990-3-21 |
Koishikute (æ‹ã—ãã¦) |
4th |
|
2nd |
1990-12-01 |
Blue Snow |
25th |
3rd |
1991-11-10 |
YOU / Kore ga Hajimari Dakara (YOU/ã“ã‚ŒãŒã¯ã˜ã¾ã‚Šã ã‹ã‚‰) |
82nd |
4th |
1992-10-25 |
Afureru Namida (ã‚ãµã‚Œã‚‹æ¶™) |
|
|
5th |
1993-2-25 |
Sayonara, Soshite Arigatou (ã•ã‚ˆãªã‚‰ã€ãã—ã¦ã‚ã‚ŠãŒã¨ã†) |
|
6th |
1993-7-25 |
Dareka ga Kimi wo Yobu Koe ga (誰ã‹ãŒå›ã‚’呼ã¶å£°ãŒ) |
|
7th |
1993-11-01 |
Hana-mochi Hito (花待ã¡äºº) |
|
8th |
1994-7-25 |
OKINAWAN SHOUT |
|
9th |
1995-3-25 |
Kimi dake wo Tsurete (å›ã ã‘ã‚’ã¤ã‚Œã¦) |
|
10th |
1996-7-06 |
Koe no Omamori kudasai (声ã®ãŠã¾ã‚‚ã‚Šãã ã•ã„) |
36th |
11th |
1997-5-21 |
Birthday Song |
|
|
12th |
1997-9-03 |
Sora ni Hoshi ga Aru you ni (空ã«æ˜ŸãŒã‚るよã†ã«) |
|
13th |
1997-11-21 |
Ai ga Hashiru (æ„›ãŒèµ°ã‚‹) |
|
14th |
1998-3-21 |
Uchi e Kaerou (家ã¸å¸°ã‚ã†) |
|
15th |
1998-6-24 |
Mirai no Kimi e (未æ¥ã®å›ã¸) |
|
16th |
1998-8-12 |
Bouhatei de Mita Keshiki (é˜²æ³¢å ¤ã§è¦‹ãŸæ™¯è‰²) |
99th |
17th |
1999-10-21 |
Ai wo Sutenaide (愛をæ¨ã¦ãªã„ã§) |
|
18th |
2000-3-23 |
Nada Sousou (涙ãã†ãã†) |
159th |
First maxi single |
19th |
2000-5-31 |
Sora ni Hoshi ga Aru you ni (空ã«æ˜ŸãŒã‚るよã†ã«) |
47th |
Re-released as maxi single |
20th |
2000-10-18 |
Kaze yo (風よ) |
|
21st |
2001-10-24 |
Akari (ç¯ã‚Š) |
|
22nd |
2002-2-27 |
BOTORU Nihon to CHOKOREETO (ボトル二本ã¨ãƒãƒ§ã‚³ãƒ¬ãƒ¼ãƒˆ) |
|
23rd |
2002-5-22 |
Shimanchu nu Takara (島人ã¬å®) |
47th |
24th |
2002-6-26 |
Nada Sousou / Shimanchu nu Takara (涙ãã†ãã†ï¼å³¶äººã¬å®) |
|
Casette Tape |
25th |
2003-2-20 |
OJII Jiman no ORIONBIIRU (オジー自慢ã®ã‚ªãƒªã‚ªãƒ³ãƒ“ール) |
|
Maxi single, limited Okinawa only release |
26th |
2003-6-18 |
Sono Toki Umareta Mono (ãã®æ™‚生ã¾ã‚ŒãŸã‚‚ã®) |
38th |
27th |
2004-2-25 |
Itsumademo / YUGAFU-jima (ã„ã¤ã¾ã§ã‚‚ï¼ãƒ¦ã‚¬ãƒ•å³¶) |
49th |
28th |
2004-8-11 |
Chikai (誓ã„) |
37th |
29th |
2004-12-16 |
Kimi wo Miteiru (å›ã‚’見ã¦ã„ã‚‹) |
98th |
30th |
2006-10-25 |
Sanshin no Hana (三線ã®èŠ±/æ±äº¬) |
20th |
31st |
2007-2-07 |
MIIFAIYUU (ミーファイユー) |
75th |
32nd |
2007-7-25 |
Koko kara Mirai e (ã“ã“ã‹ã‚‰æœªæ¥ã¸) |
115th |
33rd |
2008-6-28 |
Bokura no Kono Subarashiki Sekai (僕らã®ã“ã®ç´ 晴らã—ã世界) |
99th |
34th |
2008-10-22 |
ICHARIBAO HANA (イãƒãƒ£ãƒªãƒã‚ªãƒãƒŠ) |
112th |
35th |
2009-1-07 |
Egai no Manma (笑顔ã®ã¾ã‚“ã¾) |
12th |
|
36th |
2012-9-07 |
Kokudou 508 Gousen (国é“508å·ç·š) |
72th |
maxi single limited to Okinawa release |
37th |
2013-3-20 |
Haru ni GONDORA (春ã«ã‚´ãƒ³ãƒ‰ãƒ©) |
|
|
Album
# |
Release date |
Title |
Highest Oricon chart rank |
Comments |
1st |
1990-6-23 |
Ongaku Ryodan (音楽旅団) |
7th |
|
2nd |
1991-3-27 |
GLIDER |
|
|
3rd |
1991-11-21 |
Dokoka de Yume ga Kuchibue wo Fuku Yoru (ã©ã“ã‹ã§å¤¢ãŒå£ç¬›ã‚’å¹ã夜) |
27th |
|
4th |
1992-12-02 |
THE ROOTS |
74th |
|
5th |
1993-9-22 |
MY HOME TOWN |
|
|
6th |
1994-9-01 |
Chhaban Night |
|
|
7th |
1995-3-25 |
FAN -LITTLE PIECES- |
|
First best-of album |
8th |
1995-10-25 |
USED |
|
First self-produced album |
9th |
1996-10-23 |
CM COMPILATION Twelve Steps |
46th |
Best-of album |
10th |
1997-6-21 |
Ongaku Ryodan II (音楽旅団II) |
|
|
11th |
1998-6-24 |
Tokyo Ocean |
|
|
12th |
1999-3-25 |
BALLADS |
|
Best-of ballad selection album |
13th |
2000-7-21 |
BEGIN no Shimauta ~OMOTO TAKEO ~ (ビギンã®å³¶å”„ 〜オモトタケオ〜) |
97th |
First best-of compilation of Shimauta songs |
14th |
2000-9-21 |
BEGIN |
|
10th anniversary commemorative album |
15th |
2001-2-21 |
BEGIN BEST 1990-2000 |
52nd |
Best-of album |
16th |
2002-3-21 |
MUSIC FROM B.Y.G |
|
Live music recorded at B.Y.G. Live house |
17th |
2002-7-03 |
BEGIN no Shimauta ~OMOTO TAKEO 2~ (ビギンã®å³¶å”„ 〜オモトタケオ2〜) |
33th |
2nd best-of shimauta album |
18th |
2003-7-24 |
BEGIN no Ichigo Ichie (ビギンã®ä¸€äº”一会) |
7th |
Self cover album |
19th |
2003-8-21 |
BEGIN no Ichigo Ichie 58 Drive (ビギンã®ä¸€äº”一会 58ドライブ) |
50th |
Cover album of classic Japanese music |
20th |
2003-9-25 |
BEGIN no Ichigo Ichie Drive in Starter (ビギンã®ä¸€äº”一会 ドライブインシアター) |
70th |
Cover album of Western music |
21st |
2004-7-14 |
Ocean Line |
12th |
15th anniversary commemorative album |
22nd |
2004-7-14 |
Reef Line |
91st |
|
23rd |
2005-2-23 |
BEGIN Single Daizenshuu (BEGIN シングル大全集) |
5th |
15th anniversary best-of album |
24th |
2005-2-23 |
Forest Green |
243 |
|
25th |
2007-3-07 |
OKINAWAN FULL ORCHESTRA (オã‚ナワン フール オーケストラ) |
39th |
|
26th |
2008-3-26 |
BEGIN Live Daizenshuu (BEGIN ライブ大全集) |
49th |
|
27th |
2008-7-23 |
BEGIN no Ichigo Ichie 2 (ビギンã®ä¸€äº”一会2) |
55th |
|
28th |
2009-8-05 |
3LDK |
33th |
|
29th |
2010-9-08 |
BEGIN no Shimauta ~OMOTO TAKEO 3~ (ビギンã®å³¶å”„ 〜オモトタケオ3〜) |
25th |
Third shimauta album |
30th |
2011-2-16 |
BEGIN Single Daizenshuu Tokubetsukan (BEGINシングル大全集 特別盤) |
33ä½ |
20th anniversary best-of album |
31st |
2011-7-20 |
BEGIN no Shimauta OMOTO TAKEO no ga Best (ビギンã®å³¶å”„ オモトタケオã®ãŒãƒ™ã‚¹ãƒˆ) |
40th |
|
32nd |
2012-10-24 |
Tropical Blues (トãƒãƒ”カルフーズ) |
54th |
|
References
- ↑ "BEGIN Discography". BEGIN Official Site. Amuse Inc. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
External links
See also