is a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

for the

Southern All Stars , also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974. The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda (dru ...

, as well of his own solo band, the Kuwata band. He has also done a significant amount of scoring music for films. He went to

Aoyama Gakuin University is a private Christian university in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1874 by missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church, it was reconfigured in its current form in 1949 as part of Aoyama Gakuin. Aoyama Gakuin Universit ...

. In 2010,

was ranked No. 1, and Kuwata's solo band, the Kuwata Band, ranked No. 12 on

HMV Japan Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

's list of the top 100 musicians in Japan. Kuwata has worked as a record producer, a movie director, has recorded albums as bandleader of his own band, the Kuwata Band, and has worked on projects

scoring Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian m ...

music to film.

Biographical information

Keisuke Kuwata was born February 26, 1956, and raised in

Chigasaki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 242,798 and a population density of 6800 people per km². The total area of the city is . Geography The city is located on the eastern ba ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...

, Japan. Kuwata's wife,

Yuko Hara Yuko Hara (原由子 ''Hara Yūko'', born December 11, 1956 in Yokohama, Japan, nicknamed "Harabo") is the keyboardist for Southern All Stars. She is also a vocalist and writes many of her own songs. She is married to Keisuke Kuwata, the mult ...

, is also a member of the

. She is a vocalist and plays keyboards. The two met while in college, where they were in the same circle of musicians.　They married in 1982, after the success of the band's single Chako no Kaiganmonogatari, and invited 3000 fans of the band to their wedding reception. They share a love of the

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and have two sons together. On July 28, 2010, Kuwata announced that he had been diagnosed with

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

.Pop Vocalist Keisuke Kuwata Diagnosed With Cancer
/ref> The operation to remove the cancer was successful and he has made several public appearances since June 2011.

Musical style

Kuwata plays guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. For one album, ''Suteki Na Mirai Wo Mite Hoshii'' (素敵な未来を見て欲しい), Kuwata played every musical instrument and recorded the entire album himself. Kuwata's Western musical influences are varied. Along with his wife, the band's keyboardist and backing vocalist, Yuko Hara, the couple have long been inspired by American

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

, where preferences run from

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, the Band,

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

, and Southern rock music, to British and American influences that are arguably pure

rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

; with a flattering number of songs covered from the work of

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

. Aside from Dylan, Kuwata's work has shown emphasis on music of the American South, including that of

Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival, also referred to as Creedence and CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, ...

and

Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles. George disbanded the group because of creative differences shortly before his death in 1979. Surviving ...

. Along with the

, Kuwata has performed with Little Feat on several occasions, and recorded

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...

from the band. He was a participant and performer in a

tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...

concert to the late

Lowell George Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat. Earl ...

, (Little Feat's original frontman), recording a medley on video that contained his version of "

Dixie Chicken ''Dixie Chicken'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1973. The artwork for the front cover was by illustrator Neon Park and is a reference to a line from the album's third song, "Roll Um Easy". The albu ...

". In 1990, American musician

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

released an English-language version of "Ellie My Love", a song whose music and original Japanese lyrics were written by Kuwata, on Charles's album '' Would You Believe?'' The song was already successful in Japan prior to the album's release, having been used in a Japanese television commercial. In 1991, Kuwata began a series of concerts, similar to ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'' performances, called the "Acoustic Revolution", featuring Hirokazu Ogura on guitar, and Yoshiyuki Sahashi on

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

, along with other musicians using acoustic instruments. Here again, Dylan's influence shone through their work choosing standards including "

Like a Rolling Stone "Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, by Columbia Records. Its confrontational lyrics originated in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted fro ...

". Kuwata also developed a love for rock music. The influence from

is strong and can be heard even when Kuwata performs songs in same manner and style as those that Clapton himself covered, and did not write. In addition, other artists covered have been

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

, and

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...

. In 1994, the "On Air Music Fair", "

I Shot the Sheriff "I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley and released in 1973 with his band Bob Marley and the Wailers. Bob Marley and the Wailers version The song was first released in 1973 on The Wailers' album '' Burni ...

" by

was performed by Kuwata and

Ann Lewis Ann C. Frank Lewis (born December 19, 1937) is a leading American Democratic Party strategist and communicator. Lewis served as White House Communications Director in the Clinton administration and in senior roles under Hillary Clinton. She is ...

Philanthropy

Kuwata has performed with his band, and collaborated with several others annually to donate money towards AIDS research and treatment. To draw the largest possible audiences, Kuwata performs additional Western songs so the concerts are more inclusive. Depending upon the year of the concert, sometimes the chosen songs have a theme. Kuwata has been joined in benefit concerts by other bands and musicians. Most notable is the frequent appearance of , a band featuring guitarists and . The band features a combination of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and rock, along with their own combination of ambient experimental music. Yamagen is considered a "guitar support unit", in the same way Westerners would think of a

horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the te ...

. Some of these concert songs included: * 1996 Theme: Jazz Cafe * 1997 Theme: Kayou Suspense Theater * 1998 Theme: All Request Show * 1999 Theme: Eric Claptoso ** "

Little Wing "Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. It is a slower tempo, rhythm and blues-inspired ballad featuring Hendrix's vocal and guitar with recording studio effects accompanied by bass, d ...

", by

, and "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?", recorded by Eric Clapton several decades earlier. * 2000 Theme: Best Songs of The 20th Century Selected By Kuwata * 2001 Theme: Plays The Beatles * 2003 Theme: Disco And Soul Of Glory * 2004 Theme: The Golden Age Of British Rock ** "

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

" by

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

, " Highway Star" by

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...

, "

We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album ''News of the World''. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and it placed at numbe ...

" by

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

. * 2006 Theme: Stars And Stripes Forever!? My American Heros ** "

Proud Mary "Proud Mary" is a song written by John Fogerty and first recorded by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released by Fantasy Records as a single from the band's second studio album, ''Bayou Country'', which was issued by the same rec ...

" by

* 2008 Theme: Hitori Kohaku Utagassen 1 * 2009 Theme: Movie Songs * 2013 Theme: Hitori Kohaku Utagassen 2

Discography

Original albums

* ''Keisuke Kuwata'' (July 9, 1988) * ''Kodoku-no Taiyō'' ("孤独の太陽", ''The Sun of Solitude'') (September 23, 1994) * ''Rock and Roll Hero'' (September 26, 2002) * ''Musicman'' (February 23, 2011) * ''Garakuta'' ("がらくた", ''Junk'') (August 23, 2017）

Compilation albums

* ''From Yesterday'' (June 27, 1992) * ''Top Of The Pops'' (November 27, 2002) * ''I LOVE YOU -now & forever-'' (July 18, 2012)

Albums and DVDs

* ''Subete no Uta ni Zange shina – Live Tour '94 * ''Kuwata Keisuke Act Against AIDS 2008 Shouwa 83 Nendo!Hitori * ''Live tour Garakuta'' (April 4, 2018）

Albums of the Kuwata Band, 1986

* ''Nippon No Rock Band'' (July 14) * ''Rock Concert'' – Live Album (December 5)

Singles of the Kuwata Band, 1986

* ''Ban Ban Ban'' (April 5) * ''Skipped Beat'' ("スキップ・ビート") (July 5) * ''Merry Christmas In Summer'' (July 5) * ''One Day'' (November 5)

Solo singles

* ''Kanashii Kimochi (Just a Man in Love)'' ("悲しい気持ち (JUST A MAN IN LOVE)", "Sad Feelings (Just a Man in Love)") (1987) * ''Itsuka Dokoka-de (I Feel the Echo)'' ("いつか何処かで (I FEEL THE ECHO)", "Somewhere Some Time (I Feel the Echo)") (1988) * ''Mayonaka-no Dandy'' ("真夜中のダンディー", "Midnight's Dandy") (1993) * ''Tsuki'' ("月", "Moon") (1994) * ''Matsuri-no-ato'' ("祭りのあと", "After the Carnival") (1994) * ''Naminori Jonny'' ("波乗りジョニー", "Surfing Jonny") (2001) * ''Shiroi koibitotachi'' ("白い恋人達", "White Lovers") (2001) * ''Tokyo'' ("東京") (2002) * ''Ashita Harerukana'' ("明日晴れるかな", "Will it Be Sunny Tomorrow?") (2007) * ''Kaze no Uta wo Kikasete'' ("風の詩を聴かせて", "Listen to the Wind's Song") (2007) * ''Darling'' ("ダーリン") (2007) * ''Kimi ni Sayonara wo'' ("君にサヨナラを", "Good-Bye to You") (2009) * ''Hontou ha Kowai Ai to Romance'' ("本当は怖い愛とロマンス", "In Fact, Fearful Love and Romance") (2010) * ''Asu heno March'' / ''Let's try again -kuwata keisuke ver.-'' / ''Hadaka DE Ondo -Matsuri da!! Naked-'' (2011) * ''Yin Yang'' / ''Namida wo Buttobase!!'' / ''Oishii Himitsu'' (2013) * ''Yoshiko-San'' ("ヨシ子さん") (2017) * ''Kimi heno Tegami'' ("君への手紙", "A Letter to You") (2017)

With Super Chimpanzee

* (1991) *

With Mr. Children

* ''Kiseki-no Hoshi'' ("奇跡の地球(ほし)", ''Earth of Miracle'') (1995)

With Yuzo Kamon

* ''Kuwata Keisuke, Yuzo Kamon & Victor Wheels Live!''(''嘉門雄三 & Victor Wheels Live!'' (1982)

Film work, record scoring

Kuwata directed the movie, ''Inamura Jane'', for which he composed the music. It was released on September 8, 1990, by Toho.''Inamura Jane''
/ref> Previously, he composed the music for ''Aiko 16-sai'' in 1983, which won the Award of the Japanese Academy for Newcomer of the Year, and the

Yokohama Film Festival The is an annual awards ceremony held in Yokohama, Japan. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year and various awards are given to personnel. The first festival, held on February 3, 1980, was a small affair by fans and film critics. In 1994, ...

's Festival Prize for Yasuko Tomita as Best New Actress. He has also written the scores for several Japanese films. Kuwata wrote the theme song, "Ashita Hareru Kana", featured in the popular Japanese television drama series,

Operation Love is a Japanese TV drama series that was aired on Fuji TV. The series started on April 16, 2007 and ended with 11 episodes on June 24, 2007. A special (SP) aired on March 25, 2008. A Korean remake of the series, Operation Proposal, starring Y ...

, which won the award for "Best Television Theme Song" at the 53rd Japanese Television Awards, in 2007.

Honors

Medal with Purple Ribbon are medals awarded by the Government of Japan. They are awarded to individuals who have done meritorious deeds and also to those who have achieved excellence in their field of work. The Medals of Honor were established on December 7, 1881, and we ...

(2014)

References

External links

ASMART
–

Amuse, Inc. is a Japanese entertainment company that provides artist management services. The artists include idols, musicians, and so on. Amuse produces TV and radio programs, commercial films, and movies. Other interests are in publication, music software ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuwata, Keisuke 1956 births Living people Aoyama Gakuin University alumni Japanese guitarists Japanese male rock singers Japanese multi-instrumentalists Japanese male singer-songwriters Southern All Stars members People from Chigasaki, Kanagawa Slide guitarists Musicians from Kanagawa Prefecture Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Amuse Inc. talents 20th-century Japanese male singers 20th-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese male singers 21st-century Japanese singers