Three bodies, one entity.
A day before their first live show in Mexico City, vocal trio Kalafina met with various press bodies to talk about their career and their expectations of a Mexican audience. Wakana, Keiko and Hikaru entered to a round of applause by the press and, with radiant smiles on their faces, began to answer our questions.
Welcome! How do you feel about performing in another country like Mexico?
Wakana: We are very happy to be in Mexico for the first time and are excited about the possibility of performing in front of a new audience. We have met very friendly people here during the past few days.
What made you decide to come to our country?
Keiko: What made us realize there were fans in Mexico was a fax a Mexican fan sent to a Japanese TV program, which said “I want you to come to Mexico.” We really wanted to get to know the audience that waited for us on the other side of the world.
What are your musical influences?
Hikaru: I like Beyoncé a lot, but in general, pop music has always been an inspiration for me.
Wakana: Since I was young I had the opportunity to participate in several genres. I was involved in classical music and gospel, but my influences also include Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, and MISIA.
Keiko: I began in music thanks to a male artist named Yutaka Ozaki.
What do you expect from the Mexican audience at the show?
Keiko: We had the opportunity to talk with Eir Aoi, who came to Mexico last year. She told us that Mexicans are very passionate, so we would like to see that passion tomorrow at the show.
What is your most memorable or iconic moment with Kajiura Yuki?
Wakana: Actually, we don’t have many chances to see Kajiura Yuki outside of the context of recordings and production meetings, but she is a very kind person who treats us well as artists. When looking for guidance on how to sing songs, I ask Kajiura and she tells me to sing as I want, with freedom. It may sound strange to receive such freedom, but for me it is very important to receive that kind of guidance.
The Japanese entertainment business is very demanding and tough in terms of artistic training. Can you share a bit about all the training you had prior to nowadays and being part of Kalafina?
Keiko: I don’t think it’s as difficult and hard as you think. For Kalafina, the only training is to listen to the other two members and gradually discover how to harmonize better. This has become a good way to polish the relationship between the three of us.
Hikaru: Creating harmony with two other people is difficult, but I think it’s interesting and fun to have the opportunity to try something like this. As for training, since I entered Kalafina I started to listen to genres and artists I haven’t heard before.
Wakana: Harmonizing with the other two members has been a great opportunity to study and acquire knowledge. My start was with gospel, where I had to harmonize with many people. On the other hand, even when we have to think in terms of harmony, it’s important that in every song each one of us can sound good by herself as well as with the other two.
What would you recommend to Mexicans who visit Japan?
Wakana: I recommend you to go to Fukuoka, where I grew up. The fish are so fresh and there is a lot of nature.
Keiko: Experience ‘omotenashi’, the feeling of being treated as a guest in Japan, because I think that aspect is unique to being Japanese. We want to show the best of our country, and it can be with manners or in kindness when we speak.
Hikaru: For those interested in anime, I recommend you visit Akihabara. On the other hand, Japanese food varies from region to region, so I recommend you go to eat in all regions.
What can people expect who haven’t experienced a Kalafina show?
Keiko: I recommend they enter the show with their heart empty, without any expectation of what they will hear, because it’s something really unique. Kalafina is a unique genre.
Are there any funny or curious stories that you have experienced during your shows?
Wakana: As we are always working together, the funniest thing is the possibility of working with the other two members and learning things we don’t already know.
What song or project has been the most significant in your career to date?
Keiko: There isn’t any significant work in particular because everything we have done during these years has led us here, so everything is important to us.
Is there any contribution to anime you want to make in the future?
Hikaru: We don’t have anything at the moment, but the future may bring us something interesting.
What other genres would you like to try?
Keiko: I think that Kalafina has done different genres of music, so instead of worrying about what genres we could try, we would prefer to do different things. But it also depends on what Kajiura Yuki offers us.
Mexico is a big platform for all foreign artists. We would like to know, what did you know about this country before your visit?
Keiko: Tacos, burritos and guacamole. (laughs) We also knew about the pyramids.
We have an outside perspective of what the ‘Cool Japan’ project is. How does this project support artists from Japan and Kalafina directly?
Keiko: We don’t have a direct relationship with Cool Japan, but some support definitely exists. You can notice it every time someone mentions it on the outside, because the Cool Japan project seeks to expand Japanese culture beyond Japan’s borders.
If you had the opportunity to collaborate with a Japanese or a foreign artist, who would that be?
Wakana: Individually, I would like to collaborate with the group SPEED. I like their voice quality. However, as a group, anyone who would like to collaborate with us is welcome.
Keiko: It would be interesting to collaborate with the band THE ALFEE, because we are three people and they are three. (laughs)
Hikaru: I don’t have any artist in particular in mind, but I would like to do a collaboration with a rock artist.
Tomorrow is your first show in Mexico. Do you have a surprise in store for your fans?
Hikaru: If we tell you, it won’t be a surprise anymore. (laughs)
Do you know any Mexican artists?
Keiko: Not really, please teach us. Are there any that you consider we should know?
Jeans, Pandora…
Keiko: Thank you!
Can you share with us a situation with a fan that you remember with affection?
Wakana: When we sing abroad, what impresses us a lot is that despite the language barrier, fans sing with us in our language even if they don’t understand Japanese. That makes us feel that music is something really amazing.
If you had to describe Kalafina in one word, what it would be?
Keiko: That’s hard! (laughs) There is the expression ‘Sanmi Ittai’ in Japanese. It’s a word of four kanji which means ‘three bodies, one entity.’
How do you take care of your voices?
Hikaru: I don’t eat things that irritate my throat. All three of us have the same routine as other singers, like maintaining a certain level of moisture, eating a sweet before singing, et cetera.
Where do you get your inspiration? What is your greatest inspiration when interpreting your songs?
Wakana: The most important thing is what Kajiura Yuki prints in the songs, but also when we are creating the harmonies, it’s important to know what that particular song evokes in us.
Do you have any message for your Mexican fans who are awaiting your show?
Keiko: We brought very well-chosen musicians with whom we will perform, and we have worked hard for tomorrow’s show. What we would like to say to the fans is that we hope to create a unique treasure for all their lives.
Thank you!
JaME would like to thank to Kalafina, LoveJapan Entertainment and the interpreter for making this press conference possible.
