Kumisolo is the Stage Name of Japanese-French Singer-Songwriter Kumi Okamoto.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, she grew fond of French culture (particularly the French New Wave cinema) and left her country for France. Studying cinema there, she went back to music since she already had experience in her home country.
Kumi's first professional forray into music was first on a Japanese duo called Crazy Curl and later in a French trio called the Konki Duet. Following the end of that band, she renamed herself Kumisolo and released her own first material in 2008.
Kumisolo's music mixes French 60s-influenced Pop with Exotica. The quirky feelings of her songs (as well as the music videos related to them) are based on the fact that she doesn't want to be taken seriously in her music.
Discography:
- 2008 - My Love for You is a Cheap Love Song
- 2012 - Coeur Frag (EP)
- 2013 - La Femme Japonaise (EP)
- 2016 - Kabuki Femme Fatale
Her work contains examples of:
- Baroque Pop: Featured on her song "Pop Girl".
- Chanson
- Cover Version: She has covered MC Solaar's "Victime de la Mode" on her EP La Femme Chinoise.
- Face on the Cover: On all of her releases.
- Food Songs Are Funny: "Rice Burger" and "Fondant au Chocolat".
- Funny Bruce Lee Noises: Featured on the song "Kabuki Femme Fatale"
- Girl Group: She was part of The Konki Duet, an all-female vocal group.
- Indie Pop
- Instrumentals: Kabuki Femme Fatale was also released in an instrumental version.
- Mundane Made Awesome: She has written songs about subjects such as the daily commute ("Transport en Commun"), shoplifting ("La Chapardeuse") and how to make rice burgers and chocolate cakes.
- One-Man Song: "Kung Fu Boy" (this is also the song of her backing musicians when she plays live).
- One-Woman Song: "Pop Girl".
- Pop: Most prominent on La Femme Japonaise and Kabuki Femme Fatale.
- Silly Love Songs: Since her repertoire is partially based on 60s Pop revival, some of her songs go down that road.
- Special Guest: Patrick Biyik (known for being part of the infamous Eurovision trio Twin Twin) is featured on "Fondant au Chocolat" and also appears in its music video as a dark chocolate bar.
- Stage Name: Kumisolo simply refers to Kumi (Okamoto) going solo.
