Go back to PRESS RELEASES
Contact: Ellen Endo
310-328-0907
JAPANESE POP SINGER REMEMBERS GRANDFATHER WITH BENEFIT CONCERT
(Torrance, Calif. – March 27, 2008) – Before the stardom, before the concert tours, and before the mega recording contract, there was one individual who recognized that Ai Carina Uemura had a gift that should be shared with the world. That person was her ojiichan (grandfather) Masami Endo.
Today, 26-year old Ai is a top recording artist in Japan and is frequently compared to Beyoncé and Alicia Keys. Her American-style R&B tracks are a favorite of advertisers and her songs can be heard in ads for Japan Air Lines and Pepsi in Japan. Her face helps to sell everything from fashions to cell phones. Ai's first major release in 2005, "Story," sold over 300,000 copies as a single in Japan and has been downloaded over 3.5 million times.
Masami and Ai had much in common. Both were born in the United States but at an early age moved to Japan. Masami returned to America at age 18 and attended high school in Los Angeles to study English. Ai returned to America as a teenager to attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where she studied dance and began training as a singer.
Both shared a deep love of music. Masami could play the violin and piano. Ai inherited her ojiichan's piano-playing skill, which she often uses in creating her songs. Masami was a decorated World War II veteran who served with the legendary 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team. Dubbed "Go For Broke" because of the fierce determination displayed by its soldiers, the 100th/442nd became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. Masami served in Europe, where he met Ai's grandmother, Giovanna, in 1944.
Masami passed away in 1996. Last year, Ai released "I'll Remember You," a song that pays tribute to him and all the wise people who help others by sharing their knowledge, caring, and experience.
Approximately 30,000 Nisei soldiers like Masami served during World War II. Their achievements paved the way for all Asian Americans to enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and helped rebuild and strengthen the friendship between the U.S. and Japan.
The Go For Broke National Education Center was established to ensure that people around the world learn and understand what these remarkable soldiers accomplished in the hope that their example will inspire future generations.
Ai will perform in a benefit concert – only her second appearance in the U.S. – on Sunday, June 22, 7 p.m., at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Ticket information is available by calling Go For Broke at (310) 222-5713.
By appearing in this Benefit Concert, Ai hopes to honor those who, by their example, have enriched her life and the lives of all young people with lessons form the past.
