| about Mariah | |
 1970年3月27日生まれ。シティオペラの舞台に立つ母の影響で歌手になる夢を抱き、単身マンハッタンに乗り込む。その後、ブレンダ・Ｋ・スターのバック・コーラスを受け持つようになり、ブレンダからCBSソニー（当時）のトミー・モトーラ社長にデモ・テープが渡された1988年、デビューが決定。時にマライア、18歳。 1990年、“衝撃のデビュー”と呼ばれた「ヴィジョン・オブ・ラヴ」の大ヒット（4週連続全米NO.1）を皮切りに、数々のヒット作を送り出す。“７オクターブの歌姫”というキャッチ・コピーも当時の話題に。 グラミー賞の受賞、トミー・モトーラとの結婚と人生の上昇気流に乗ったマライア。日本では、ドラマ『29歳のクリスマス』の主題歌になった「恋人たちのクリスマス」が空前の大ヒット！ この曲は後に、全米No.1シングルのみを集めたベスト盤『The Ones』の日本でのボーナストラックとなり、アルバムは360万枚という洋楽史上の記録に残るウルトラ・ヒットとなった。来日公演は計4回、数々のTV-CFにも出演している。主な記録としては、 ・全世界のトータル・アルバム・セールスは1億5,000万枚（日本では1,600万枚） ・全米No.1シングルは14曲 〜ビートルズ（20曲）、エルビス・プレスリー（18曲）に続く3位！ ・日本で6作連続100万枚突破 〜洋楽史上初！ また、世界の頂点に立つスーパースターの顔を持つ傍ら、チルドレンズ・フレッシュ・エア基金のスペシャル・プログラム“キャンプ・マライア”を発表するなど、チャリティー活動も積極的に展開。また、ホイットニー・ヒューストン、ルーサー・ヴァンドロス、ボーイズIIメン、98°、ウェストライフなどなど、ベテランから若手まで幅広くデュエットも行っている。 2001年には、レーベルをEMIに移し（日本のみソニー変わらず）、初主演映画『グリッター』とそのサントラ盤を完成。米国同時多発テロのチャリティー番組『トリビュート・トゥ・ザ・ヒーローズ』では代表曲「ヒーロー」を熱唱した。その後、『グリッター』の低調を理由にEMIが契約を解除したが、その直後から各社の激しい争奪戦がスタート。そして2002年5月、最終的にユニバーサル ミュージックが獲得した。（具体的には、ボン・ジョヴィ、Ｕ２、Hikaru Utada他、ビルボードTOP10の常連を数多く抱えるレーベル＝アイランド・デフ・ジャムと、マライア自身が設立したレコード会社＝MonarCとの契約。） (Universal International)      
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With her unique talent and signature vocal abilities, Mariah Carey commanded the world’s attention when she made her musical debut in the early nineties. In less than a decade, Mariah Carey emerged as one of the most popular and widely acclaimed talents in music. As a singer and songwriter, Carey has been recognized with the most prestigious accolades in the industry including two Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, Billboard's “Artist of the Decade" Award and the World Music Award for “World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium" to name a few. As the best-selling female performer of all time, Mariah Carey has continuously raised the bar and set the standard of excellence within the music industry worldwide. With a mother who shared both talent and a love of music, Carey was destined for a life of song having been named after “They Call the Wind Mariah” a melody from a popular Lerner and Loewe musical. From an early age, Carey demonstrated extraordinary musical abilities. She started singing at the tender age of four and her innate talent quickly progressed. While attending middle school, Carey began honing her songwriting skills and upon high school graduation she immediately left for New York City to pursue a lifetime ambition - her dream of a musical career. From the beginning, Carey’s luminous talent quickly distinguished her in New York and her vocals were in demand by a variety of artists. Her major break came while singing backup for Brenda K. Starr, who gave Mariah’s demo tape to then Sony Music Entertainment Chief Tommy Mottola. Soon afterwards, Mottola signed Mariah to her first recording contract with Columbia Records. With a fresh-face and angelic allure Mariah exploded on the scene with a signature style that displayed a vocal intensity that had never been seen before. Released in 1990, Carey’s self-titled debut was an immense hit, firmly establishing her as one of the most talented artists in the industry. The album which spawned an extraordinary four #1 singles: “Vision of Love,""Love Takes Time,""Someday," and "I Don't Wanna Cry," led to two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist. Carey continued her success with a series of singles from Emotions and MTV Unplugged albums that consistently placed her at the top of the charts. With the 1993 release of Music Box, which included the chart-topping hit singles "Dreamlover" and "Hero," Carey produced her most commercially successful album to date going an astounding ten-times platinum. Carey soon hit yet another career milestone with the release of her first holiday album Merry Christmas, which contained the instant classic "All I Want for Christmas is You." Over the next two years, Carey continued her relentless chart domination with the album Daydream (1995). Daydream’s “Fantasy” single debuted at number one, making Mariah the second artist in history and the first female performer to accomplish that feat. The album’s other single, "One Sweet Day" (recorded with Boyz II Men), stayed at the top of the charts for a mind-blowing 16 weeks. Carey followed with the Hip-Hop and R&B infused Butterfly which introduced a new chapter in Mariah’s career teaming her with the hottest names in the music business such as Sean Combs and Missy Elliott. A true testament to her longevity, Carey released #1’s, a compilation of her chart-topping hits in 1998. The album also included a new song, "When You Believe" (from the film “The Prince of Egypt”), a duet with Whitney Houston, pairing two of the most successful female recording artists in Pop history.Rainbow, with its chart-topping hit "Heartbreaker," followed in 1999 with startling success. Always at the top of her game, the ever-thriving Carey sparked the interest of the Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam Records who in May 2002 signed her to an exclusive recording contract. Later that year, Carey made her Island Def Jam debut with the release of the multi-platinum Charmbracelet. After more than a decade of hits that include the staggering success of 15 #1 singles, Carey will release her most revealing album to date, The Emancipation of Mimi, in April 2005. Entirely written and co-produced by the gifted Carey, her tenth studio album is an intimate portrayal of both the challenges and successes that she experienced during her rise to unparalleled fame. Carey explains the inspiration behind her new album, “With this album, I am embracing my independence and celebrating the person that I have become. Over the years, I have evolved into a better person and an even better artist. For the first time in my life, I am proud and unafraid to be who I really am, and that's what the music of this album and its title reflect. By naming my album The Emancipation of Mimi andreferencing ‘Mimi’ a nickname only used by those closest to me, I am inviting my fans into my life.” A brilliant artist who has co-written every song on each of her albums since 1990, Mariah Carey has consistently shown her willingness to express herself both as a remarkable vocalist and an acclaimed songwriter. The Emancipation of Mimi offers more than a glimpse into Mariah’s world featuring tunes like the heartfelt “Circles” and “Fly Like a Bird,” with their positive messages of affirmation and hope. While being honest and vulnerable in expressing her emotions through songs like “I Wish You Knew” and “Joyride,” Mariah leaves no doubt that she is a woman who speaks her mind. The infectious, edgy “It’s Like That,” co-produced by Jermaine Dupri is the album’s first hit single and a definitive statement of where Mariah stands at this point in her life, and isher fastestclimbing single in five years. Mariah and executive producer, Antonio “L.A.” Reid (Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman), approached the creation of The Emancipation of Mimi in a very specific way delivering ballads like “We Belong Together” (which pays homage to the Bobby Womack classic “If You Think You’re Lonely Now”) that her fans have come to expect while evoking a new sound that will surely broaden her appeal and capture an entirely new audience. The Emancipation of Mimi marks “the return of the voice.” As an artist who has paved the way for a host of emerging talent throughout the years, Mariah is set once again to redefine the heights of musical success with her incomparable talent and timeless appeal. With a refined and sophisticated new look indicative of her artistic evolution, she is poised to conquer new territory. Consistently evolving musically, personally, and creatively Mariah will re-assert her claim as the best-selling female performer of all time with The Emancipation of Mimi. As an artist revered worldwide, her boundless talent and success is unmatched across the globe. (Mariahcarey.com) |