UA

Other Name: 嶋歌織

Age: 52

Birthday: March 11, 1972

Nationality: Japanese

Gender: Female

Hasegawa Kaori, or simply known by the stage name UA, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actress born in Kaori Shima and grew up in Suita, Osaka. She made her debut under Speedstar Records in 1995, with the single Horizon. After graduating from Saga University of Arts in Kyoto, she worked as a lounge singer in her hometown. There, she was scouted by producer Hiroshi Fujiwara. She took on the unusual stage name of UA (a Swahili word that means both "flower" and "kill") and made her debut with the Fujiwara-produced "Horizon" under Speedstar Records in 1995. Her fourth single "Jōnetsu" became a smash hit and UA was recognized all over Japan. In 2000, after two more albums, Ametora and Turbo, UA took a hiatus from her solo work and formed the band Ajico with Kenichi Asai. She resumed her solo activities in 2002 and released her fourth album, Dorobō. The same year, she made her acting debut as the leading role in the film Mizu no Onna and contributed to the soundtrack. The film went on to win the Golden Alexander prize for Best Feature-Length Film at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival and was screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. (Source: Wikipedia).