"ANZA"
"ANZA"
Anza Ōyama (大山アンザ Ōyama Anza, born May 4, 1976) is a musician, singer and actress, primarily working in Japan. She was born to a Japanese father and a White South African mother
Stage career
Anza has performed in a number of stage productions, the majority of which being musicals. Her first major production was as the leading role of Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon musicals, also known as Sera Myu. She is one of the longest running cast members to ever perform in the Sailor Moon musicals, and is the longest running Sailor Moon to date. She held the role for five years performing in thirteen separate productions between 1993 and 1998.
Nearing the end of her stretch as Sailor Moon, she also performed in a musical called 2050-nen no Aoi Shima between 1997 and 1998. Chiruchiru was the name of her character. In 2000, she broke off from the musical scene in a Japanese stage production of Mr. Holland's Opus. Similarly, in 2002, she was in a Japanese stage production of When Harry Met Sally.
In 2003, Anza returned to doing musicals by taking on the role of Eponine in several Toho productions of Les Misérables through till 2005. In 2004, Anza appeared as Ellen in one production of Miss Saigon (also produced by Toho) as well as a Japanese adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters in the role of Irina.
Music career
Anza made her debut in 1992 as a member of the J-pop idol group Sakurakko Club, and released a number of singles with that group. She and Ayako Morino, also of Sakurakko Club fame, were in a spin-off duo called Momo. They released two singles in 1993 and 1994.
With Anza joining the Sailor Moon musicals in 1993, she appeared regularly on the CD releases for the musicals, both in solo and group songs. From her five year period as Sailor Moon, she can be heard on the "La Soldier" single (released prior to the very first musical), the first five "Memorial Album of the Musical" releases, as well as three of the eight compilation albums which have been released since SeraMyu's conception.
In 1994, Moon Lips, a group of SeraMyu actresses including Anza, provided vocals for the Sailor Moon theme song "Moonlight Densetsu" which was used for that show's third and fourth seasons (Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon SuperS, respectively).
Shortly following her graduation from the Sailor Moon musicals in 1998, she released a solo single entitled "Dream" under the Sony Music Entertainment Japan record label. "Dream" was also featured as the ending theme song for the TV show "Famitsu WAVE". In April 1999, she released "Tobira wo Akete" (under Victor Entertainment), a single which was used as a theme song for the anime Cardcaptor Sakura. In September 1999, Anza provided vocals for "Ai wo Shizumeteru", the ending theme song to the PlayStation game Psychic Force 2.
Another of her songs, Mienai Chizu, was used as an insert song in episode 68 of Cardcaptor Sakura.
In 1999, Anza went in a completely different direction with her music. A band called Head Phones President was formed with Anza on lead vocals. Their sound can be described as nu metal with harsh, screamed vocals.
In 2003, Toho recorded four of its Les Misérables musicals live, and they released four double-disc albums (available only by special order directly from Toho). Anza appears on the light blue album with Kazutaka Ishii as Jean Valjean.
In 2006, Anza was signed onto the Universal Music Japan and released her debut single with them: "Kanata e". It was used as the second ending theme song for the anime Glass no Kantai..
In late 2008, She joined the band "Vitamin-Q", now called Vitamin-Q featuring ANZA. The lead founder, Kazuhiko Kato wanted to put beginning.
Currently, ANZA mixes Head Phones President, "Vitamin-Q featuring ANZA," and her solo career.