Years active 1989 - Present Origin Okinawa Prefecture, Japan | Labels Imperial Records Record label Teichiku Records | |
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Genres Pop rock, blues, Okinawan music Website BEGIN Official Web Site Members Masaru Shimabukuro, Eisho Higa, Hitoshi Uechi Albums Sugar Cane Cable Ne, BEGIN シングル大全集, BEGIN BEST 1990‑2000, BEGIN BALLADS, Tokyo Ocean Profiles | ||
Begin (ビギン, Bigin, [biɡiɴ], stylized as BEGIN) is a Japanese pop rock group from Ishigaki Island in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Their sound contains many elements of traditional Okinawan music, and prominently features the sanshin.
Contents
History
The members of Begin – Eishō Higa (比嘉栄昇) (sanshin, vocals), Masaru Shimabukuro (島袋優) (guitar), and Hitoshi Uechi (上地等) (piano) – are all from Ishigaki Island. They have been friends since elementary school. They also attended the same senior high school but upon graduation all intended to go their separate ways. One day, Eishō gathered the members together again and they began to focus on music. On December 5, 1988, they sang at a friend's wedding, calling themselves "Begin" for the first time. Soon they began to become famous. As of 13 November 2006 they have released 22 singles, 24 albums and 8 DVDs. Perhaps their most famous song is "Nada Sōsō", a collaboration between Begin and Ryōko Moriyama. Begin has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. They are also the performers of the "Ichariba Ohana" and "Izayoi Yoi", the opening and first ending themes of the Disney-produced anime series Stitch!.
Selected songs
Songs
Sanshin no Hana2008
UMI NO KOESugar Cane Cable Network · 2015
OKINAWAN SHOUTChhaban Night · 1994