Born in Tokyo, Sizzle Ohtaka studied under a classical vocalist from age 7.
It was crucial encounters with jazz and world music that led her to pursue non-genre music.
Sizzle’s music career has spun beyond genres and geographical borders. She has released 21 original albums and collaborated with artists in films, paintings, book recitations and dances.
Currently, Sizzle leads improvisation workshops called, “Voice Drawing” and regularly appears in “Nihongo de Asobo (Let’s Play with Japanese)” on NHK’s (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Educational Channel.
Performance
1994 The Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games (Performed “Komoro Mago Uta” (The Horseman’s Song in Komoro) at the closing ceremony), Norway
Le Printemps de Bourges, France
The Act Against Aids Concert at Nippon Budokan Arena, Tokyo, Japan
1996 Participated as a voice performer in the collaborative performances of HOTEL PRO FORMA, a local performance group, and DUMB TYPE from Kyoto, namely MONKEY BUSINESS CLASS/SARU HODO NI, in Malmö, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark and Normandy, France to commemorate the occasion when the title “European Cultural City” was given to Copenhagen, Denmark
1999 The Earth Music Festival of the Eurasia Odyssey, Fall 1999, Niigata, Japan
2003 “In-yo (Light & Shadow)” in Edinburgh (Singing and performing a one-person stage) , UK
“Futon Logic” Live Performance I.C.A. London, England
2004 Jazz Festival in Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
The Estonian Choral Festival, one of the Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity (Sizzle Ohtaka was the 1st Japanese to participate in), Estonia
Performed and recorded an album with Ellerhein, the Grammy-winning girls’ choir from Estonia, Estonia
2005 The World Expo Ai-Chikyu-Haku, Aichi, Japan
Performed in Game/Play directed by Yoshiko Chuma at the Asia Music and Society in New York, US
World Music of Sacred Music / Los angels, U.S.A.
2006 The Aurora Festival, Tromsø, Norway
Invited to dedicate her song in the puppet dance performance by Hiroshi Hori at the occasion of the special exposition of the hidden Okunoin (inner temple) Buddha to the public at Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan
2007 “Hiroshima Exhibition” at Volda University College, Norway
2008 Concert in Yellowknife, Canada in collaboration with First Nations musicians, Yellowknife, Canada
Joint recording session with the local musicians in Istanbul, Turkey; released as the new album “Serenade”, Istanbul, Turkey
Performed for the “Hibaku Piano (a piano that survived the atom bombing of Hiroshima) Concert” sereies, Tokyo, Japan
2009 Performed for the “Hibaku Piano (a piano that survived the atom bombing of Hiroshima) Concert” sereies, Ibaragi, Japan
2010年 Performed for the “Hibaku Piano (a piano that survived the atom bombing of Hiroshima) Concert” sereies, Akita, Japan
2012 Nasreddin Honca Festival/Turkey
Overcoming the Disaster ; Gratitude from Japan to the world. United Nation General asemble in N.Y. / U.S.A.
Overcoming the Disaster ; Gratitude from Japan to the world. Palai des Congres/France
“the year of friendship and peace between Japan and Timor-Leste”
project to celebrate the 10th anniversary of that diplomatic relations.
2013 Picadon Music Dance and Film / Norway,Hiroshima,Kyoto
2016 Ichihara Lakeside Museum “Light and Shadow”
2017 “Light & Shgadow” JAPAN ALPS ART FESTIVAL
Awards
1991 THE BEST VOCALIST AWARD of Commercial Music from THE JAPAN ADVERTISING MUSIC ASSOCIATION
1992 Album “Return” won the Adlib Best Record Award in the new age/world music category
2002 THE WORLD’S BEST RADIO AND TELEVISION ADVERTISING from International Broadcasting Awards in U.S.A.
Soundtrack Contributions
1990 The British Museum, TV program
The title theme songs for the NHK program, “Voice of Time”, “Swallow”
1992 Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t , film
Directed by Masayuki Suo. The song, “Kanashiku te Yarikirenai” (Too Sad to Bear) and the ending theme music “Ringo no Ki no Shita de” (Under the Apple Tree)
1997 Tetto Musashino-sen , film
Soundtrack of the movie directed by Naoki Nagao. “Saya Dream”, “Love is A Light”, “Infant Waltz- the Summer Knows” & etc.
1998 Zukkoke Sannin Gumi – Kaito X Monogatari , film
The theme song,“Summer Page”
2001 “Spirited Away” , animation film
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, STUDIO HIBLI, an image song, “Kamigami-sama”
2003 Antarctica, a special program, celebrating NHK’s 50th year of television broadcasting
The them song, “Silence”
2005 Tenshi ni Narumon! (I’m Gonna be an Angel!) , TV anime
The ending theme music, “Ocian” (“Ai wa Umi”)
Leviathan, Athe Beast of the Endness , game
The ending theme music, “The Beast of the Endness”
2006 Final Fantasy III , game
Image songs, “Roaming Sheep”, “The Breeze”
2007 Bokko (“Battle of Wisdom”) , film（Hongkong)
TV Appearances
2003 ～ Regular appearances in “Nihongo de Asobo” on NHK Educational Channel