Sano Kenji
佐野健二
Bassist / Singer / Songwriter / Music & Sound Producer / Vocal Director
Sano Kenji (1955- ) is a bilingual bassist, singer, songwriter, arranger, music & sound producer, and vocal director who attended an American school in Tokyo and pursued his college studies in the USA. In 1983, he joined the Hawaiian pop/rock band Kalapana which evolved both in Honolulu and Los Angeles. At the end of the 1980s, he started collaborating with Japanese artists and produced pop acts. His activities have been split between America and Japan since then. In the mid-1990s, he started working with Komuro Tetsuya and became involved in the music direction of Amuro Namie.
He is one of Amuro Namie’s long-time and closest collaborators. The two of them worked together for 11 years between 1996 and 2006, and then again in 2012-2013. Not only did Sano Kenji played the bass and directed her vocals, but he was also responsible for her tours between 1997 and 2006. As her bassist and band leader, he is the one who built and hired the whole international band of musicians that accompanied her between 1997 and 2001 during her tours. Several of them have expressed their gratitude to Sano for giving them this opportunity.
Amuro Namie and Sano Kenji’s relationship seem to go beyond the professional field. For example, a photography of Amuro’s wedding celebration – probably in Hawaii – shows that Sano was also present. From 2004, he started focusing on the boysband EXILE, but continued to work with her at several occasions.
In a 2000 interview, Sano Kenji said about Amuro’s concerts:
“I’m a music director, so [Namie] and director Sam have to pick a song, and the arrangement, I’m already doing band rehearsals here [in LA]. So when we go to Japan, she has almost made her sound as expected. That’s why there are multiplayers, sounds that can not be played, etc., only those sounds are recorded and streamed. But we mostly play it all. Namie-chan also sings everything. I can’t believe it either. Neither Janet Jackson nor Madonna sing it at all when they are dancing. […] The tour lasts for many days, but Namie dances and sings it all. This is another strange story of the Japanese industry, but Amuro Namie is being seen as an idol-like form in the entertainment world. It’s totally different. We would not work together if she was a typical idol, but in the case of Namie, we are working on the songs seriously, we are hardworking people, and so are the back members. So I’m a little like a father, but I’m really looking forward to seeing her grow.”
His other collaborations include Ijima Mari, Suzuki Ami, globe, Kahala Tomomi, Ring, Tohko, Obata Minako, Nakayama Miho, Hayami Yu, Yazawa Eikichi, Kiyokiba Shunsuke, EXILE, Michael Paulo, Bob Dylan, Jay Graydon, Jaki Graham and many others.
He is not to be confounded with the bassist of the Japanese hard rock band Bow Wow, also named Sano Kenji.
Recordings
a walk in the park (1996)
Bass
YOU ARE THE ONE / TK PRESENTS Konetto (1997)
Bass
CAN YOU CELEBRATE (1997)
Bass
B w/z you (1997)
Bass
Close your eyes, close to you (1997)
Bass
Concentration 20 (make you alright) (1997)
Bass
Me love peace!! (1997)
Bass
No Communication (1997)
Bass
Whisper (1997)
Bass
I HAVE NEVER SEEN (1998)
Background Vocals
GENIUS 2000 [album] (2000)
Vocal Direction
NEVER END (2000)
Vocal Direction
break the rules [album] (2000)
Vocal & Background Vocals Direction
I WILL (2002)
Chorus Arrangement, Vocal Direction
LOVE ENHANCED ♥ single collection [album – all tracks except Say the word] (2002)
Vocal & Background Vocals Direction
As Good As (2003)
Vocal Direction
Don’t Lie To Me (2003)
Vocal Direction
Indy Lady feat. ZEEBRA (2003)
Vocal Direction
ALARM (2004)
Vocal Direction
Queen of Hip-Pop [album – tracks are not specified] (2005)
Vocal Direction
GO ROUND N’ROUND N’ROUND (2012)
Vocal Direction
Hot Girls (2012)
Vocal Direction
In The Spotlight (TOKYO) (2012)
Vocal Direction
Let’s Go (2012)
Vocal Direction
ONLY YOU (2012)
Vocal Direction
Hands On Me (2013)
Vocal Direction
Poison (2013)
Vocal Direction
Stardust In My Eyes (2013)
Vocal Direction
Live Tours
Namie Amuro tour 1997 a walk in the park
Bass, Band Leader
TK pan-pacific Tour ’97
Bass
Mistio presents namie amuro SUMMER STAGE 1997 Concentration 20
Bass, Band Leader
NAMIE AMURO TOUR GENIUS 2000
Bass, Band Leader
namie amuro tour 2001 Break the rules
Bass, Band Leader
namie amuro SO CRAZY tour featuring BEST singles 2003-2004
Bass, Band Leader
Space of Hip-Pop ~namie amuro tour 2005~
Sound Producer
namie amuro BEST tour “Live Style 2006”
Bass, Sound Producer