伊藤由奈ｘセリーヌ ディオン "あなたがいる限り~A World to Believe In~"
I was really surprised when I visited the mailbox late this afternoon and found that this Cdjapan order had already arrived! Both of these singles are scheduled to be released in Japan tomorrow on the 16th (as they're a day ahead of Hawaii) so I was expecting them later in the week. It's really close to sleepy time for me so I'll be saving Nacchi & Maimichan's collaboration debut for tomorrow when I get home. What's great is that the sticker on the outside indicates the inclusion of a 24 page booklet so I'll try to scan some of these photos tomorrow as well.
It was a really nice surprise for me hearing about this project's release late in November as I really think that both artists have such incredible voices! I've long thought of Celine Dion as having one of the most remarkable voices on the planet and to have her perform a duet with Ito Yuna is somewhat of a dream scenario. But I wondered how she would blend with Yuna's voice and just the thought brought lots of anticipation to this release.
As I should have never had any doubt, Ito Yuna's strongly projected vocals create an ideal compliment to Celine's and together with this well crafted ballad an almost epic feeling is created. "A World to Believe in" is a perfect vehicle to present both artists' with a stage to showcase their vocal prowess and with it's larger than life feeling this song has the aura similar to that of a soundtrack's. There are four tracks on the single including the original duet version, a "U.S.A. Mix" which differs really slightly, a Ito Yuna solo version, and a karaoke track. The Ito Yuna solo version is great to listen to and it includes additional Japanese lyrics in place of some of the verses' English lyrics. Happily there's also a video for this release!
My interest in Ito Yuna really peaked when I first learned of her Hawaii ties from my friend Saburo and from there I've been purchasing all of her releases which includes 1 album and 9 singles. He frequents her parent's restaurant "Akinono" and actually got to meet her one Friday when she was visiting and she signed him an autograph card and they took a photograph together too! :) Another one of my I wish I were there moments!
A great thing about her album release is that it comes with a DVD including 6 of her pvs including two of my absolute favorites by her: "Truth" and "Stuck on You." If you've never heard "Truth" before please give it a listen as it's such a beautiful song and I think it really showcases her vocal strength so well! "Stuck on You" is more of a fun pop song and hopefully you'll get stuck on it too like me! :)
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I'm not a big fan of Celine Dion's voice though...its just...weird...to me. Its a nice duet, though :D
I was just thinking that there is presidence for this kind of thing. Andrea Bocelli did this early in his career - singing his hits in languages other than Italian with the local hot singer of that country... perhaps with mixed-language vocals. So, she is in good company. This should give Yuna a lot of clout in Japan!! :)
And his duet with Celine in The Prayer is to die for! :)
Do you have Celine's new CD also?
Ah! ^^ They compliment each other so well! This a very beautiful song!
I just ordered the "Japan version" from yesasia:
Guilty (ALBUM+DVD)(Japan Version) 1005192840 1 A World to Believe in (Japan Version) 1005115255 1 Truth - Reira starring Yuna Ito (Japan Version) 1004529988 1
Credit Total:USD 0.00 Sub-total:USD 61.73 Tax:USD 0.00 Shipping (Super Saver):USD 0.00 Order Total:USD 61.73
I got "Supersaver" for free shipping. (5-9 days)
Yes, Bocelli famously did it with Vivo Per Lei (I Live For Her) The Italian/French version is especially yummy with Helene Segara. I really must have a way to send you songs!
Guilty is the new Ayumi Hamasaki CD/DVD! :) Being meaning to get that one, so...
Celine's new CD is called Taking Chances. It's everywhere, including Target, etc.
Have you seen this video?
Yuna singing Celine tribute song HERE
Backgrounder on Yuna/Celine HERE
Maybe I'll put Ito Yuna on my list of artists to check out after Amuro Namie ;)
It's a good sign how an artist can adapt and change with the times. Like you've hinted at though, sometimes it can cause a few problems, like not liking their new#current sound.
My iPod is so handy to pull up songs that I can't quite remember... you can search so many ways, and confirm it by hearing the song. I always try to put as much information (metadata) in the song file as possible. At a minimum, the song title, artist, album, and type (like J-pop) and the lyrics and translation if I can get them. Really help me!
I just posted on my VOX the A World To Believe In video! I think we have a different "fan base", so most of the people I know will never have heard about it, and it *deserves* to be heard! Thanks for telling us about it. :)
I love the connection, it really is "world music"! It shows people (who are closeminded about foreign music) that it is universal and takes no notice of language barriers!
Have you heard of A-Mei (Chang) from Taiwan? She is HUGE in the Chinese Pop (C-pop) world. I am sure you would love her too. Her new CD called Star is awesome! I have some of her music on my VOX, like THIS one...
And my favorite song HERE
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I'm really unfamiliar with Chinese pop and the only C-Pop CD that I own is by Sandy Lam but well actually it's not really Chinese pop as she's singing in English for most of the album. She's singing American pop songs so this really doesn't count though. You really have very diverse musical tastes!
Yeah, the Micro SD (not mini-SD - those are larger. I know it's confusing!) are pretty cheap. 2gb would be the best value for the money, I am sure.
What is really cool, is that to copy song files, you only need to have almost *any* PC to copy the mp3 or video files, and a SD card reader (available for starting at less than $10). The micro-SD card is so small, that you insert it in a sleeve that is the size of a regular SD card, to put it in a standard reader. This page shows you the differences HERE.
I really think that you might consider getting a laptop this time around. You don't give up much, if anything, anymore. And gain a lot of benefits with the portability. I love to sit on the front porch and surf... :) My Dell only cost $599 and it's a totally viable machine. Plus, Dell.com always is having specials. HP laptops are pretty good too!
You seem to know a lot of geeks. ;) You might be able to just swap in a new motherboard, more memory and do other upgrades later? But, I'll tell you it's often easier and more reliable to just buy a new machine with a full warranty than do the "Frankenstein" thing. :)
If you get the chance, I have a lot of C-pop videos on my VOX video section.
BTW, I was reading about Ayu today and it said the deafness in her left ear was inoperable. :(
Plus, the girl that was the star in 1 Liter of Tears, turns out she is Hapa too! 1/2 Japanese and Algerian/French. (Algeria was a colony of France for a long time).
I finished 1 Liter Tears today. Such a good series!! It should be sponsored by Kleenex though! ^^ The fansubs where so easy to read, that I, at least, forgot it was wasn't in English. :) (I burned it to DVD, so I could watch on the TV)
The thing with C-pop is that is mainly either Cantonese or Mandarin. I can't usually tell the difference, but my friends sure can, when I send them one in the "wrong" language!! ^^
That's such sad news about Ayu. As strong as she is, I wonder how she'll manage as she's stated her desire to continue in the music business. I just can't imagine being able to sing how one would want to with hearing in just one ear. Listening to her new album and I'll watch her pvs soon.
Wow you finished the drama so quickly! I sometimes have drama marathons when I really love something that I'm watching. I have a feeling that this drama will revive some of my watching habits! I should be able to start watching it soon as I hope to be able to meet up with my friend Saburo this weekend. He said that he had it already but couldn't find it so he downloaded it again for me. :) I can't imagine ever learning Chinese as its nuances seem so complex and Japanese seems so much easier in comparison.
Mini-SD is hardly used, as it never really caught on. Micro-SD is huge though, since almost all cell phones use that standard.
To copy files from your PC to the micro-sd card, you must put it into the adapter for SD. You will of course need a SD card reader for your PC. Most now use USB to connect to the PC. Perhaps your PC has a card reader built in? Many newer ones do, like my Dell laptop.
Do you have any USB devices connected to your PC already? USB used to be quite dodgy, until the last few years when USB 2.0 came out.
You know, I was thinking that Ayu might benefit from having a lower profile. She would have a lot of pressure off her, and could still record at her own pace. Leaving while you are top is no sin. And when you have been on top for so long, where is there to go? I'm sure her fans will continue to be faithful. :) Beethoven was deaf when her wrote some of his greatest works... (Have you heard of Immortal Beloved?)
Yes, I have my older PC and a laptop now, which works really well! I can use one for some things and the laptop for others. Versatile!! If you get Wi-Fi or use networking, your PCs can share files. I often grab files off the PC to use on the laptop. It is so uber cool to take a laptop when you go places. Even if it's only to the back yard! :) You might start cruising Dell's web site to get ideas. www.dell.com They do have sales. And I'm sure your friends could advise you too.
A newer PC opens SO many possibilities! All the new "WEB 2.0" basically needs the horsepower and a fast Internet connection too. AT&T DSL is what I use. It came with a free DSL "modem". It's only $14.95 a month for 1.5mb/sec speed. That's usually much cheaper than a Cable modem.
I copied 1 Liter Tears to DVD, so I could watch on TV. It was so easy to get caught up in the drama! I couldn't help putting the next episode on immediately. ^^ I just next to see the Special Edition episode. I am doing to make more copies to send to friends. Especially those that like K-dramas and Chinese Mini-series.
The hardest thing about Chinese (so I have been told) is that it is a tonal language, so using the same "letters", you can say 4 or 5 different things by tonal emphasis(!) That's why using roman characters, it's often open to interpretion what is meant.
There is a new show on Nickelodeon TV Network that is a kids show about a little Chinese-American girl that uses English and Mandarin in her adventures. I just blogged about it on my VOX. :)
I haven't seen Immortal Beloved and I'm amazed to learn that he was deaf?! I wonder how he could compose in that state...as a musical genius I guess he could probably hear it all in his head! That's really amazing! Wow $14.95 is such a great price!! I think Roadrunner charges $40.00 a month. Your friends must really love you for sharing dramas with them! It's very kind of you. :)
Chinese is really so complex and by your example alone I think one would need a personal tutor to make sure their pronunciation and intonation are correct! It would be really scary to try speaking while just studying alone and one may end up saying something really funny! :P I sometimes hear people saying that English is one of the hardest languages to learn but somehow I think that Chinese wins in that argument. Wow I'm really impressed that Nickelodeon has taken up such a great teaching tool for children! Now if I hear American children speaking Mandarin I may just have an idea where they learned it. :) That's such a wonderful idea and I wish that type of programming was available when I was younger. Children today have so many ways to learn. :)
A card reader can be built in to the PC or use USB. Here's a good collection for you to peruse HERE. I was just thinking that a laptop would also be handy for taking it in to be looked at. Much easier than lugging a PC around!
Beethoven slowly went deaf, but he wrote masterpieces even after. One thing he did was have the piano played very loud, and felt the vibrations. He did compose in his head as you say...
That's why I keep on getting as much Japanese things for the Princesses as I can now. Before age 5, children have an insatiable desire to learn language, even multiple languages. Much harder after that!
You know that most American Chinese speak Cantonese, right? Because the Chinese along the coast of China where most likely to immigrate before recently, and most of those spoke Cantonese. The Chinese government today is really pushing Mandarin as the major language. So now many American Chinese are losing their clout, and want their children to learn Mandarin too.
Japan has the advantage of being a very homogeneous country. Though I hear that Help Desks set up in rural parts of Japan are hard to understand by urban folk! ^^
I don't think that either is harder to learn than the other, but they are very different. A Cantonese told me that too most people Cantonese sound like they are yelling at each other (even when they aren't!) ^^ Most of my ethnic Chinese friends speak Mandarin (plus others) I should hook you up with them, because they are all Japanese culture fans too. :)
Can you tell that Korean J-pop singers like BoA and Youhna aren't Japanese by their pronounciations?
Ah sounding like you're 'yelling at each other' cant' be a good thing if it's all the time! I imagine that in most movies they must be speaking Mandarin because it sounds so pleasant. Hmmm...I have Boa's first album and her pronunciation is really great. I think with some artists you can tell that they aren't of Japanese ethnicity when you hear them speak rather than sing. But it's not true all the time as Vivian Hsu sounds a bit "rehearsed" when you listen to her sing but she's so adorable that it doesn't matter at all! :)
I heard about $399 laptop with reduced capabilities, but easy to use... maybe the start of something?
I got their Pink Pod from Apple today in the mail - it's even engraved! It's sooo cool! and tiny but screen is bigger, brighter and sharper than old one. I've watch videos on it already to test. Excellent! It can also hookup to a TV for watching H!P videos that way too. ;) Plus, already loaded all of the song from the 5 previous CDs I sent them - still have 6.3gb free. :) I think they will be fighting for it for a long time! lol
If you have any especially good Japanese videos from Youtube, now's the time to say. I am already added Yuna videos. I think they will especially love
Mahaloha
If it's a mainland China or Taiwanese movie, good chance it's Mandarin. If made in Hong Kong, most likely Cantonese. And look at subtitles - if Cantonese is subtitle option, most like speaking is Mandarin... and visa versa. ^^
I love Vivian Hsu too! So cute!! See many of her movies? Some are a bit racy, but she's always a please to watch. Camera loves her.
I think I may know the difference between the two but I'm not totally sure...haha meaning that I'd keep my guesses to myself! I actually only have Vivian Hsu's music videos and CDs. She was in Black Biscuits with a comedic duo before getting solo releases. "Timing" and "Bye Bye" are really cute songs of theirs! I also really like her 1st album a lot. I wasn't aware that she acted in movies too!
I have the Dell 1501 laptop, an inexpensive model that they have made (in upgraded version) for a long time. They do have sales too.
Here's Vivian's filmography (She's made more than I thought!)
Here's looking at you kid! :) HERE
Can I ask how you became interested in NASCAR? You aren't their target demographic, I'm sure! :) Although I think it's awesome you are a big fan! Tell those rednecks to get H!P! ^^
Does Hawaiian Airlines fly directly to Vegas? I know they do fly directly from San Diego now. Is that the trip you where talking about giving up, so that you can get your laptop??
Me and NASCAR is a simple story! I saw Jeff Gordon one day on t.v. in a post race interview and I knew that I had to watch! You can call me a rather new fan as I've only been watching since 2000 but I at least got to see him win his 4th championship in 2001!! So many years since I thought that he was going to win another championship but something always breaks my heart in the end. But then he hired Jimmie Johnson and mentored him into just as good of a race driver as himself....maybe too much mentoring as Jimmie has won the last 2 championships! :) I'm strictly a Hendrick Motorsports fan and now Dale Jr. is a part of the family! Now I have 3 favorite drivers! Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, & Dale Jr. :) I watch the entire races and if I'm not home I tape them and I think I've only missed 2 races since the 2000 season. I know that I'm a bizarre sight but I just can't help it!
They do fly direct and I'm so happy because I wouldn't want to sit in an airport lobby somewhere in the mainland alone during a stop over! 2 years ago I flew with my Manager and his wife but last year I flew alone for the first time to the mainland (actually I've only been to the mainland twice!) and I met them in Las Vegas. I can't sleep on planes and when I arrived in Las Vegas I had insomnia for awhile....I think I was up for about 2 1/2 days straight. I laid down but I couldn't fall asleep, it was strange as I'm usually out before you can say "good-night." Ah it may come down to the trip or a new pc/laptop. Or I'm still considering saving for a trip to Japan in the future but I'm still undecided on that.
You aren't weird - you are unique! Quite disarmingly charming actually. (now where did my arms go?!) What channel are the races on? I haven't watched much TV lately, so I'm not up on all that. Is it naughty to imagine you in your Hendrick Motor Sports Race Queen outfit?? lol
I hate for you to have to decide between your NASCAR fix and a new computer! :( If there was anything that I could do about it, I would you know.
If you go to Japan, you must visit the Studio Ghibli Museum!!
Guess what's on my PBS right now?? Jimmy Dean in Rebel Without A Cause! Small world, ain't it? :)
The first half of the season is on FOX and the second half is shared by ESPN and ABC with some races on TNT too. I love the announcers that FOX has and especially Darrel Waltrip! I've only seen old race footage of him but he really has such an engaging personality on t.v. and his insight is such an asset to their broadcasts. ESPN just returned to NASCAR last season after a long hiatus away from the sport and their coverage was really great too! The only thing that they're missing is Darrel Waltrip!
That is so kind of you! I'm actually afraid of flying so staying home this year will be okay! :) I want to see a Totoro store too!! A friend sent me a picture of a store and the entire front entrance is shaped like Totoro!!
Watching James Dean pictures brings out some mixed emotions for me. He was such a talented actor and it's so sad that he passed away so young. Imagine what he could have shared with the world had he not been in that awful accident.
You know, I was thinking that maybe your PC doesn't need that much to make it viable again? I was looking at the documentation for your Blackberry (now it's officially a MorningBerry!) and the software for it says you only need a 486 and USB 1.1, which would be quite a ways back. How old is your PC? Does it run Windows XP? How much memory does it have? Hate to ask these kinda' questions, but maybe all your PC really needs is to have to "reinitialized"? (Erase the disk, reinstall the OS and programs), maybe add some more memory and get a DVD burner (about $30 now)? Even a new motherboard is only about $100, if needed. Do you know anyone that could evaluate your PC before you buy a new one? I hate for you to miss your trip. That way, you could use your brand new whistle to start the race in Vegas!! :)
Those mean kids just wanted to *see* you blowing out the crumbs! ;) It's so easy to see you as the sweetest of little girls...
Wouldn't that be divine to go see the Studio Ghibli Museum someday?? :) There is at least one guy on VOX (with the CUTEST little girls!) that has pix from there. I will find them for you, if you are interested.
I remember Waltrip in his racing days! I'm sure his a good commentator now... I'm very impressed with your encyclopedic knowledge of the things you are interested in. What couldn't Dinty do?? :)
I'm guessing that the studio Ghibli museum isn't like the Totoro store?....really silly to ask. You're so lucky to have seen Darrel Waltrip race!! In the highlights that I've seen he's just amazing and really an engaging personality...although I don't think that he got along with everyone. They always refer to him as 'Jaws' on the broadcasts...his talkative nature...sometimes abrasive maybe!
No rollercoasters, noni juice, heights, chocolate, surfing,...haha the list could go on forever but I'll leave it at that!
I must apologize for taking up so much of your time, especially since you've been sick and all. :( It's such a revelation to meet someone that shares so many of my passions. And you're so darn sweet and considerate! A beauty too - I can hardly wait for your video to come out! ^^
You are right, poor Dino does need to go to his reward. He must have been a faithful pet indeed to have served you for so long. (deja vu - He's A Tramp from Lady and the Tramp just came on iTunes!!)
Perhaps George's My Sweet Lord would be appropriate too as Dino ascends to Hardware Heaven?
That being the case, I think a laptop would serve you well. I love mine much more than I thought I would. Wi-Fi can make your PCs tether almost disappear! Let me know your thinking about PC/Laptop. I'll be happy to assist you any way that I can. What you could do with something even as lowly (in modern terms) of my Dell 1501. USB 2.0 external hard drives as big as 1 terrabyte (1,000 gigabytes) are pretty cheap for all the extra disc storage you could possible need. And a DVD burner is so handy! I like to watch videos while also on the Internet, so I can keep up with my Netflix queue. Maybe I can go to Vegas for the race, and do a "report" for you! ^^
Now I'm not sure if The Totoro Store is seperate from the Ghibli Museam? I will check it further. BTW, (By the way) there is a Studio Ghibli VOX group. And just created a Namie Amuro VOX group too!! Please add your awesome Namie posts there if you want...
Oh, I wanted to ask - do you do the Hula? Easy to imagine you in your swaying skirt and coconuts strategically placed just so! :)
Is taro on the NO NO list?? I must start a list of your lists! ^^
I already feel incredibly protective of your well being...
I'll have to send you a picture of me in my Hawaiian shirt for my 6th grade class picture! o^O I would appreciate it if you could post a picture of yourself, when you where an "egg". :)
I'm happy for you that you don't have a lot of food allergies and such. I am a pretty conservative eater by nature. Anything Dinty doesn't like, is off the List! I can NOT eat almost anything! ^^ I had poi... once! @@ All of us have eaten something weird as kids. But I bet you where so kawaii doing so! :)