Cindy (singer)

Japanese singer

The native form of this personal name is Yamamoto Mayumi. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Cindy

Birth name| Yamamoto Mayumi (山本 真裕美)
Born| (1958-05-05)5 May 1958
Yokohama, Japan
Died| 17 December 2001(2001-12-17) (aged 43)
New York, United States
Genres|

* City pop
* J-pop

Occupations|

* Singer
* lyricist
* composer

Instrument| Vocals
Labels|

* Kitty Records
* Fun House

Musical artist

Mayumi Yamamoto (山本 真裕美, Yamamoto Mayumi, 5 May 1958 – 17 December 2001), known professionally as Cindy, was a Japanese singer, lyricist, and composer. Originally working in music journalism, she met Stevie Wonder and worked with him. She later released four albums – Love Life (1986), Angel Touch (1990), Don't Be Afraid (1991), and Surprise (1997) – and worked as a lyricist and composer for artists like Miho Nakayama. Since her death, her music has been associated with city pop and gained popularity among DJs in Japan.

## Biography

[edit]

Mayumi Yamamoto, a native of Yokohama, was born on 5 May 1958.[1][2] Her father was a Korean lyricist, and her mother was Japanese.[1] Her stage name Cindy was her baptismal name, named after a fairy.[1]

After graduating from Santa Maria International High School in Yokohama,[2] she moved to the United States.[1] She subsequently worked in music journalism, where she interviewed such musicians as Lionel Richie.[1] She received the attention of Stevie Wonder during an interview on the job,[2] and the two later participated in recording sessions.[1] After returning to Japan in 1982, she performed several commercial songs and participated in the LP recording of her close friend Ann Lewis.[1]

She sang "Chance On Love" and "Open Invitation", the theme songs of the 1981 anime adaptation of Urusei Yatsura; it was released as a single from Kitty Records in 1984.[3] She released her debut album Love Life in 1986; Stevie Wonder worked on two of the album's songs.[4] Her next two albums, Angel Touch and Don't Be Afraid, were released in 1990 and 1991.[5] She also sang "Touch the Sky" as part of the collaboration album Tower of Love.[6] Hata of Lightmellowbu said on Mikiki that Cindy's singing voice was like an "angel voice".[6]

In addition to singing, she was a composer and lyricist, working with Miho Nakayama as well as some of her own songs;[5] among Cindy's compositions for Nakayama were "Mermaid", "Witches" (both 1988), "Rosécolor" (1989), and "Semi-sweet Magic" (1990).[7] She also worked with Tatsuro Yamashita as a chorus singer, including in recordings and concerts.[5]

Cindy died on 17 December 2001 in New York after a battle with cancer.[8]

In 2015, remastered CD editions of Angel Touch and Don't Be Afraid produced by Tamotsu Yoshida [ja] were released.[5] By 2021, several of Angel Touch's songs were being widely used in the Japanese DJ scene.[9] One of them, "Watashitachi o Shinjite ite", was included in Sony Music Japan's 2021 city pop compilation Aldelight City: A New Standard For Japanese Pop 1975-2021 and in Hitoshi Kurimoto's 2024 album compilation City Pop Groovy 90's: Girls & Boys.[10][11]

## Discography

[edit]

### Albums

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Details  | Peak chart positions  | Sales  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

JPN
Love Life
(stylized in all-caps) | 1986  |

* Released: 1986
* Label: Kitty Records

| —  | -- | [12]
Angel Touch
(stylized in all-caps) | 1990  |

* Released: 25 June 1990
* Label: Fun House

| —  | -- | [13]
Don't Be Afraid
(stylized in small-caps) | 1991  |

* Released: 25 August 1991
* Label: Fun House

| —  | -- | [14]
Surprise | 1997  |

* Released: 5 February 1997
* Label: Fun House

| —  | -- | [15]

### Singles

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Details  | Peak chart positions  | Sales  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

JPN
"Chance On Love/Open Invitation"  | 1984  |

* Released: 1984
* Label: Kitty Records

| —  | -- | [3]
"Think Your Love Away/Spread The Love"
(stylized in all-caps) | 1986  |

* Released: 1986
* Label: Kitty Records

| —  | -- | [16]
"Tenshi no Kimochi/Setsunakute" (天使の気持ち/せつなくて) | 1990  |

* Released: 25 June 1990
* Label: Fun House

| —  | -- | [17]
"Watashitachi o Shinjiteite/Surprise" (私達を信じていて/Surprise) | 1990  |

* Released: 25 September 1990
* Label: Fun House

| —  | -- | [18]
"Special Ever Happened/Christmas Time"  | 1990  |

* Released: 25 November 1990
* Label: Fun House

| —  | -- | [19]
"Ai ga Sabishii Toki/Tell Me Why" (愛がさびしい時/TELL ME WHY) | 1991  |

* Released: 25 August 1991
* Label: Fun House

| —  | -- | [20]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g "今月の新人". Myojo. Shueisha. December 1984. p. 158.
2. ^ a b c 新訂現代日本人名錄 98. Vol. 2\. 日外アソシエーツ. 1998. p. 1478\. ISBN 978-4-8169-1468-3.
3. ^ a b Chance On Love/Open Invitation (cover). Cindy. Kitty Records. 1984. 7DS-0081.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
4. ^ "タワーレコードだけで買えるシティ・ポップ作品をご紹介". Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
5. ^ a b c d "CINDYのアルバム2枚が吉田保リマスタリングで再発". Tower Records Online (in Japanese). 6 July 2015. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
6. ^ a b lightmellowbu (16 November 2021). "lightmellowbuが選ぶ〈91年リリースの1曲〉【アーティストと音楽関係者が選ぶ〈わたしの1曲〉】". mikiki by Tower Records (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
7. ^ "CINDY作曲の歌詞一覧 - 歌ネット". Uta-Net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
8. ^ "cindyjapan - Cindy シンディ". Instagram. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
9. ^ Tofubeats (16 February 2021). "【tofubeatsの棚の端まで】最終回 シティ――木村恵子や和田加奈子など、シティ・ポップからJ-Popへの過渡期の3枚". mikiki by Tower Records (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 February 2025.
10. ^ "ソニー・ミュージックダイレクト新レーベルからシティポップの名曲詰め込んだコンピ盤発売". Music Natalie (in Japanese). 8 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
11. ^ "90年代に特化したシティポップコンピ、アナログ＆CDで登場". Music Natalie (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
12. ^ LOVE LIFE (cover). Cindy. Kitty Records. 1986. 28MS-0098.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. ^ "ANGEL TOUCH | Cindy". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
14. ^ "Don't be afraid | Cindy". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 February 2025.
15. ^ "Surprise | Cindy". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 February 2025.
16. ^ THINK YOUR LOVE AWAY/SPREAD THE LOVE (cover). Cindy. Kitty Records. 1986. 7DS-0107.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
17. ^ "天使の気持ち | Cindy". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
18. ^ "私達を信じていて | Cindy". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
19. ^ "Special Ever Happened | Cindy". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
20. ^ "愛がさびしい時 | Cindy". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website (Sony Music Entertainment Japan)

* v
* t
* e

Miho Nakayama

* Discography

Studio albums|

* C
* After School
* Summer Breeze
* Exotique
* One and Only
* Catch the Nite
* Mind Game
* Angel Hearts
* Hide 'n' Seek
* Merry Merry
* All for You
* Jeweluna
* Dé eaya
* Mellow
* Wagamama na Actress
* Pure White
* Mid Blue
* Deep Lip French
* Groovin' Blue
* Olive
* Manifesto
* Neuf Neuf

Live albums|

* Virgin Flight '86: Miho Nakayama First Concert
* Pure White Live '94

Compilations|

* Collection
* Ballads
* Collection II
* Miho's Select
* Dramatic Songs
* Blanket Privacy
* Collection III
* Ballads II
* Treasury
* Your Selection 1
* Your Selection 2
* Your Selection 3
* Your Selection 4
* Collection IV
* Miho Nakayama Perfect Best
* Miho Nakayama Perfect Best 2
* All Time Best

Remix albums|

* Makin' Dancin'
* Dance Box
* The Remixes: Miho Nakayama Meets New York Groove
* The Remixes: Miho Nakayama Meets Los Angeles Groove

Box sets|

* Miho Nakayama Complete DVD Box
* Complete Singles Box
* 30th Anniversary: The Perfect Singles Box
* Miho Nakayama 40th Anniversary: The Best Ten

Singles|

* "C"
* "Namaiki"
* "Be-Bop High School"
* "Iro White Blend"
* "Close Up"
* "Jingi Aishite Moraimasu"
* "Tsuiteru ne Notteru ne"
* "Waku Waku Sasete"
* "Hade!!!"
* "50/50"
* "Catch Me"
* "You're My Only Shinin' Star"
* "Mermaid"
* "Witches"
* "Rosécolor"
* "Virgin Eyes"
* "Midnight Taxi"
* "Semi-sweet Magic"
* "Megamitachi no Bōken"
* "Aishiterutte Iwanai!"
* "Kore kara no I Love You"
* "Rosa"
* "Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..."
* "Mellow"
* "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto"
* "Shiawase ni Naru Tame ni"
* "Anata ni Nara..."
* "Tada Nakitaku Naru no"
* "Sea Paradise (OL no Hanran)"
* "Hero"
* "Cheers for You"
* "Hurt to Heart (Itami no Yukue)"
* "Thinking About You (Anata no Yoru wo Tsutsumitai)"
* "True Romance"
* "Mirai e no Present"
* "March Color"
* "Love Clover"
* "A Place Under the Sun"
* "Adore"

Videos|

* Virgin Flight '86: Miho Nakayama First Concert
* Miho Nakayama 38th Anniversary Concert: Trois
* Miho Nakayama Concert Tour 2024: Deux

Related articles|

* King Records
* Takashi Matsumoto
* Kyōhei Tsutsumi
* Toshiki Kadomatsu
* Chinfa Kan
* Cindy
* Gorō Matsui
* Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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