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 |