Singer Mami Kawada Announces Retirement

by arsonal
Jan 24, 2016 4:48 AM | 78 Comments

Singer Mami Kawada, who has performed theme songs for various anime, visual novels, and video games, announced at the second day of LisAni! Live 2016 that she will retire from singing activities this year.

Kawada will hold her final "fan festival" on May 21, 2016, at Tokyo Dome City Hall. Singer KOTOKO, musical duo fripSide, and singer Maon Kurosaki will appear as guests at the concert.

Singer Eiko Shimamiya first discovered Kawada's vocal talents in 2001 and invited her to join the musical production group I've sound, to which Shimamiya belonged to at the time. Later that year, Kawada debuted with the song "Kaze to Kimi wo Daite," which is used as the theme song of the visual novel Miss You.

"Sora no Mori de," which is used as the ending theme song of Onegai☆Teacher (2002), was her first work associated with anime. She was signed by record label Geneon Entertainment (now NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan) in 2005 and later performed the opening theme of Shakugan no Shana, "Hishoku no Sora."

As a major label artist, Kawada has released 15 singles, five original albums, and a compilation album. Her 16th single titled "Contrail ~Kiseki~," which is used as the opening theme song for the Winter 2016 anime Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm, will be released on January 27.

"Contrail ~Kiseki~" Music Video

Source: Official website, Music Natalie

Musician Life Event

20 of 78 Comments Recent Comments

feels like killing myself now .. T _ T

May 5, 2020 11:37 AM by izumii3

3 years from today was her last live preformnce before retirement.. I miss her lots.

May 21, 2019 6:23 AM by xDreww

During NBC Fes yesterday, it was announced that she has become a mother. (She only came back for that stage)
https://natalie.mu/music/news/268095

Feb 3, 2018 7:17 AM by tsubasalover

It's sad but careers end for everyone sooner or later, I wish her the best in her coming future :)

Feb 6, 2016 9:49 PM by ShanaFlame

Mami Kawada was the most consistantly good, and unique voices in Jpop. She connected so well with her fans in live performances too. Every year since 2005 she released a new CD of some kind...every year since I really got into anime, I had looked forward to seeing what the new Mami Kawada song would be. Every year, she gave me strength her music and cheered me up. I always felt she was a little underrated by the western community. Her vibrato is really amazing. I wonder if there's something medically wrong with her...she always seemed to absolutely love singing so it's hard to believe she's retiring from SINGING. This will leave a huge gap in my musical life...losing a yearly tradition that started over a decade ago. I wish her the best in whatever path she takes...but I really hope she changes her mind someday.

Jan 26, 2016 11:33 PM by Kougeru

Jonesy974 said:

I think she's tossing around that word "retirement" without knowing all of the consequences. She's only been making music since 2001, didn't start anime songs until 2002, and probably wasn't even all that relevant in the anime music scene until a few years after that. So it's not like she's been making shit tons of money for a long time.

She's been doing this for roughly 15 years, and she's "retiring" earlier than a pro athlete. We'll probably see her again sooner or later. Once she sees how quick that money dries up after "retiring", she'll remerge out of retirement like a publicity stunt. Either that or the money starts running thin and she decides to join the real world and get a shitty regular job.

She's "retiring" from being a singer. It's the word people typically use for quitting showbiz activities. I doubt she's actually retiring in a real life sense and probably has other things she wants to do in mind.

Jan 25, 2016 6:15 PM by komasan

Damn her Index theme song was actually quite good. Good thing it isn't about someone's death again...

Jan 25, 2016 5:33 PM by keimaconquesta

WTF .
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN JAPAN ?

Jan 25, 2016 4:16 PM by -Lukz

Great voice. Kind of a shame really.

Very grateful for her theme song performances. May her retirement years be spent peacefully.

Jan 25, 2016 1:25 PM by Toarujisuru

I've is really getting thin on their talent list. Big shame, love Mami.

Jan 25, 2016 1:21 PM by Sir_Lexa

So after MELL, it's Mami kawada who retire. Their songs were always welcome as opening and ending in anime indeed, so that's sad to hear we'll never get a new one from them.
Good luck for whatever they plan to do in the future, anyway.

Jan 25, 2016 8:46 AM by Zefyris

Aww this is sad to hear. I really enjoyed listening to her songs.

Jan 25, 2016 8:28 AM by Serasphim

A singer with a great voice and many good songs. I really like her songs - Wishing her all the best for the future. ~

Jan 25, 2016 7:27 AM by Ephayris

Thank you so much for the Shana OPs!

My favorite songs are probably Hishoku no Sora, Joint, and Akai Namida, but they are all pretty good. All of her songs were pretty good, and she still looks fairly young (and age doesn't matter too much for an anison singer), I wonder why she suddenly chose to retire?

Jan 25, 2016 5:33 AM by Aassdddai

Sad to hear this. Her songs from Shana, Index and Jormungand were truly great.

I wish her all the best for the future. =)

Jan 25, 2016 3:54 AM by Meta_Yoshi

Aw damn ): First heard her songs from Shakugan no Shana and ever since that I've always liked her music.

Jan 25, 2016 2:56 AM by jjihhye

I don't know how to live without her guidance.

Jan 25, 2016 2:34 AM by windy

One of the best singing voices in anime, will be missed.

Jan 25, 2016 1:08 AM by Kotarou_

明日への涙 from Onegai Twins, one of the first Japanese songs which I liked that much.

Jan 25, 2016 12:31 AM by rsc-pl

Her voice is amazing

Aw man :(