Toshi Kubota

Having already achieved major stardom in Japan by the mid-nineties, Toshi Kubota issued his debut American album after each of his first four domestic releases had moved more than a million copies. The vocalist, who adapts American soul, funk and hip-hop rhythms for a predominantly Eastern listenership, began entering and winning Japanese talent competitions while still in pre-school. He started out in the music industry during the early eighties as a songwriter, yet his first solo album, Shake It Paradise, earned platinum certification shortly after appearing, with three subsequent follow-ups matching that commercial performance. By 1990 Kubota had started immersing himself in American culture through repeated visits to the U.S., where he collaborated with various musicians, among them Natalie Cole on the duet “Greening of the World” for a John Lennon tribute album. Sony issued the singer’s initial English-language project, Sunshine, Moonlight, in 1995. Popularity in Japan nevertheless persisted; the 1996 LP La La Love Thang also attained platinum status. His second American release, Nothing But Your Love, followed in summer 2000.