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Yaida Hitomi
Vocals, Guitar |
 Too many
solo vocalists sing what they are told
to sing on
music they did not participate in. However, this new wave of multitalented and
committed artists making music on their own terms is particularly
refreshing and has Yaida Hitomi in the
first row alongside the cream of the crop of Japanese artists.
From the first
bouncy notes of Not Still Over, I was hooked. I later found out her
musical range extended far beyond what I first tasted. Embracing her eccentricity
instead of trying to blend in, Yaida Hitomi owes most of her
success to her own hands and flair. This happy-go-lucky attitude has taken
her very far and she is even on the verge of becoming an international
star. She has already given the United Kingdom a taste of her music under
the pseudonym "Yaiko".
 Yaida
Hitomi is often compared to Shéna Ringö. Aside
from their common record label and age, I feel both artists’ styles are unique
enough to invalidate this assumption. Even if her voice is slightly more
generic, her talent for voice effects,
holding notes and music composition sets her apart from everybody else.
Hitomi
can play most of the instruments she composes for, but decided to leave
music production during recordings and shows to an underground band named
Diamond Head. Every crazy beat and sound that pops out of Hitomi’s
head is interpreted faultlessly, whether it is the trendy guitar, synthesizer
or more atypical instruments like bells and trumpets. This makes me wonder
how long these music buffs can remain in the shadows. Yaiko,
herself, always
accompanies her troupe with her own guitar and positive attitude.
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