On November 16, 2014, Kanon Wakeshima held a concert in Mexico. This was the first time that Mexican and other fans had the chance to meet and hear her perform live. A tea party was also held, where fans can ask questions about Kanon Wakeshima’s professional and personal life. One of our contributors have surfaced a full recording of the Tea Party, transcribed and translated to English for everyone to enjoy.
Audio recorded, transcribed, and translated by 鶏音
Tea Party (Fan Meeting) at Mexico on November 16, 2014. All questions were asked by fans. About 3 questions were allowed per table. There were 20 tables in total. Final time allotment was not enough for the 3 rounds of questions to be completed, but it ended up being a 1-hour question session anyways.
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Kanon: "I want to use this opportunity to share many things with all of you."
What do you think about Mexico so far?
Kanon: "I am very surprised to see how many people in Mexico have been waiting for me to come."
Why did you start playing the cello?
Kanon: "From before I was born, my father liked the cello a lot. He listened to a lot of classical music that had cello parts in it, and so he decided that he would like for his daughter to learn to play the cello, which I did from the age of 3."
From the things that you have eaten here in Mexico, which is the one you've liked the most?
Kanon: "When I arrived at Mexico, I ate Nachos and I loved them. If you have other things you would want me to eat, please tell me!"
Everyone: "Tacos!!"
What is your favorite song, amongst your own songs?
Kanon: "Within my own songs? I don't know. I like them all. I can't choose one."
A fan asked the same question previously mentioned above, so Kanon asks the fan what his favorite song is, within songs Kanon has made.
Fan: "Sakura Meikyuu"
What is your favorite manga/anime?
Kanon: "Since I was a child, I have liked Disney cartoons and Ghibli animations. The first animation I saw was My Neighbor Totoro, and that's the one I have liked the most."
What were your first thoughts when you were invited to Mexico?
Kanon: "We don't know much about Mexico in Japan, so when I was invited and found out that Mexicans like Japanese culture a lot I was really surprised and happy."
Of all the things you do, what are you the most passionate about?
Kanon: "Writing songs and lyrics are certainly my favorites. However, I love live performances as well. For example, in Japan when I perform with a band, one of the things I enjoy the most is figuring out how to perform and what theme the performance should have..."
What struck you the most when you arrived at Mexico?
Kanon: "There were paintings in the walls of the airport. There were very colorful oceans, foods, fruits. Airports in Japan are very simple and dull, but in Mexico the walls were so colorful and gaudy."
How well can you speak English?
Kanon: "I can't speak it very well. I'm sorry."
Your cellos all have names, but I would like to know how you choose those names and what they mean to you.
Kanon: "I use numbers to name my cellos. Numbers such as 3 and 7."
Translator’s Note: All of Kanon's cellos start with a number. Yaeharu (Ya = Eight), Nanachie (Nana = Seven), Mikazuki (Mi = three), Momotose (Momo = Hundred)
What inspired you to be a lolita-themed singer?
Kanon: "I think the lolita style is very cute. However, at the beginning of my career, my ex-producer Mana thought that the style harmonized well with my music."
What are your impressions of Mexico and do you ever plan to return?
Kanon: "The temperature is quite warm and the people are very cheerful, even more so than Europeans. I felt very welcome during my time in Mexico. I will return if you invite me, though the trip is quite long so it would be wonderful if someone could find a way to make it shorter."
You have become an inspiration for all of us. What would you like to say to those who want to achieve their dreams just like you?
Kanon: "When I was young, my parents always told me to follow my dreams and to always have faith in myself. They taught me to express myself in all possible ways, without paying much attention to people's criticism. What I would like to tell all of you is that you should all follow your dreams, don't be afraid to express yourselves. There will always be people who will criticize what you do, but there are also people who will stick with you all the way. So don't be afraid follow your dreams."
Do you know any Mexican artist? If you do, whom do you like?
Kanon: "I don't know any. Can you tell me of any I should know?"
Fan: "There is a group that I like that recently went to Japan. It's called Cafe Tacuba."
Do you like Mexican men and would you date one?
Kanon: "I don't know much about Mexicans, but if he can speak japanese..."
What feelings do you want to transmit through your art?
Kanon: "Drawing is my hobby, and I started doing it because I like fashion, so I started drawing clothes. After a while I noticed that through my drawings I could express things that are hard to replicate in real life. So sometimes I have a complex idea and want to see it, but making a full 3d model with plastic or other material ends up being too complicated. With drawings, I can show the world exactly what I imagine. I think drawing is an interesting art form in that sense."
Have you always wanted to be an artist or did you ever want to be anything else?
Kanon: "Well, being an artist may be a job, but it actually is not only a job. Being an artist is something you feel, just like sleeping or eating. So even if I do it as a job, I always feel a need to express the way I feel. In that sense, I am an artist and will always be until the day I die. I don't know if I will have the opportunity to work as an artist my whole life, but for sure I will never stop expressing myself. On the other hand, I would like to make my own company and become a CEO."
Musically speaking, what plans do you have for the future? (Context: question asked 11/16/2014)
Kanon: "When I go back to Japan I have a Christmas Live planned for December."
What motivated you to make collaborations with anime shows, such as writing and performing the music for openings and endings?
Kanon: "The collaborations were decided through auditions with Sony. There was one of them where a lot of record labels participated to produce a song for an anime. Since I had already participated in a Sony audition, my song was considered as a good one for the anime. Through this audition I began making collaborations with animes."
What did you feel when you performed with Hyde?
Kanon: "The invitation actually came through Vamps. At the beginning I was very tense and nervous because he is a vey famous artist, but after working with him it ended up being a very good experience."
At yesterday's concert, you showed us some images from your recent Toyko concert. In those pictures you were performing with a band. How do you feel about coming here to Mexico alone, without a band?
Kanon: "Usually in Japan I perform by myself, but I was nervous anyways. But when I saw that people were cheering me on, I relaxed."
What was the inspiration for “Shakespeare no Wasuremono”?
Kanon: "‘Shakespeare no Wasuremono’ originally had lyrics. The original lyrics were inspired by Romeo and Juliet. I wrote the lyrics while thinking about their love story."
I write songs. Would you be willing to sing one of my songs?
Kanon: "Do you have a CD?"
Fan: "Not yet."
Kanon: "Then I'll be waiting for your song to be released."
You performed the opening and ending for Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty. Did you watch both seasons? What did you think of them?
Kanon: "At the beginning of my career, I performed both songs for the anime's endings. Before writing the lyrics, I received a copy of the manga from the author and he included some notes and personal thoughts. So yes, I know the series very well."
Before you go, do you have any plans to travel to other parts of Mexico?
Kanon: "At the moment we have no plans, but the pyramids are really close so if I had the chance I would like to go there. I really wanted to go to the aquarium, but it's far from here."
With which member of the Halloween Junky Orchestra did you get along with the most?
Kanon: "Well, everyone is very kind. Since we meet every year we get along well. There weren't many female members, so I got along with Tommy-san quite well"
Which one of your songs was dedicated to someone special?
Kanon: "When I compose songs for anime I think about the anime's story and characters. But there are also songs that I have composed when I was feeling sad or had little confidence in myself and felt lonely. In those cases, my inspirations are fans and the people around me who support me."
How do you define your musical style? You started with a gothic style, then transitioned into a happier tone and then it became even happier. That has been one of my doubts recently.
Kanon: "At the time of my debut, Mana-san produced and composed my music, so I performed the songs I was provided, so it was not the style I used for my audition with Sony. Starting from my second album, I began using my style more since I was the one composing some of the songs. Regarding anime songs, I am asked to do happy songs and adapt them to the style of the series' theme and characters. Also, more so than trying to define a style for my music or a genre, I always think that the cello is what defines me so I try to compose songs that have the cello or other string instruments. So even if I do songs for animes, what defines my songs is the cello and the presence of string instruments. I think that is what separates me from other artists."
What is the hardest thing you've gone through in your career?
Kanon: "The hardest part was definitely the beginning. I didn't know what a musician's life was like. So the first and maybe the second year were the toughest."
“still doll” is a very striking song. What did you want to transmit with this song?
Kanon: "‘still doll’ is a song I received from Mana-san for which I wrote the lyrics. When I first listened to it I thought it was very dark and sad, so I imagined a castle, and inside that castle I imagined a lonely doll-like woman. I imagined someone talking to this doll. Loneliness. Sadness. Those were the things that inspired me to write the lyrics to the song."
At the time of the first performance of The Strange Treat, why did you choose classical, jazz and rock as the genres for the three concerts?
Kanon: "The first genre that I got to know was classical music. My early training is all about classical music. J-Pop and J-Rock influenced me a lot, so I decided to compose music with that style, including the band and everything. As for jazz, its foundations are very similar to classical music. So I tried to see my music from three different angles: Classical, Jazz and Rock-Pop. I would like to continue working like this, looking at my music with different perspectives."
“Shakespeare no Wasuremono” had lyrics originally. Why haven't you performed that version live and do you have any plans to release it?
Kanon: "In Japan I perform the version of the song that has lyrics. The song hasn't been recorded, so if I don't have a band, I don't usually perform it."
Of all the countries you've been to, which have you liked the most?
Kanon: "Mexico!"
As a cellist, and even with your current career. Have you ever thought of performing with an orchestra?
Kanon: "I think of my music as if it always had an orchestra in it. It is definitely something I would like to do, but for that I would need the help of a lot of people and I think it is a bit early in my career to work on a project so big. If I had the chance, yes. I would definitely like to perform with an orchestra.
Your last album was released on 2010. When will you release another one?
Kanon: "The exact date hasn't been decided yet, but it will come out. So please look forward to it!"
Which japanese artist is your favorite and why?
Kanon: "There are a lot of Japanese artists I like, so it is hard to choose. But as for foreign artists, I like the French artist Émilie Simon."