The Kago Ai Thread (加護亜依)

[kurotsuki]

This album is very soothing and her voice is nice for jazz. Thank you CrypticShadow8!

[J-Triumf]

I keep forgetting to bring this up... I missed out seeing Aibon in both LA and San Francisco, but it turns out that her brief visit to my neck of the woods back in February was for an interview with a local Japanese newspaper:
http://tenthousandpost.blogspot.com/2010/03/kago-ai-on-bayspo.html

I found out about this while I was out in LA two weeks ago. As soon as I got back I rushed over to Japantown to pick up what turned out to be the last copy on the newsstand. The interview seems to be about her first visit to SF, pimping for KDDI, learning English, and some things about starting over...my translation skills are still kinda iffy, but even moreso without any Firefox plugins helping me out.

The best part about this is that even though I missed out on seeing her twice, the interview made me curious to see where this jazz club is, and when I went over to check it out I found out about an ongoing series of DJ shows sponsored by Dan the Automator happening there! Mix Master Mike on the 10th and Just Blaze on the 24th! I tell you, Momusu 4th gen is all about paving new pathways for me! And who knows, maybe Kago herself will perform there someday...

[CrypticShadow8]

Wow.

[daigong]

^ shit! lucky guy!!

shit I haven't seen Aibon's hair like that in a while....it's kinda sexy.

Whoops never replied. Nice nice JTRI. That's like being interviewed in the Weekly Shopper, maybe she'll spit a rhyme GET UP RAPPER!! with the Invisible Skratch Piklz!

What's this from?

[J-Triumf]

[noembed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RGovSBp11w[/noembed]

The reenactment was funny. Though at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if something like this is still going on with the current lineup.

For those of you not keeping track, Kago is back in NYC right now.

First off, she posts some videos from her hotel room, dazzling us with her developing Engrish English skills:
http://yfrog.us/j5ttaz
http://yfrog.us/gihszz

Then, just this past evening, she paid a visit to the legendary Birdland jazz club to attend Jim Caruso's Cast Party; being an open mic event I do have to wonder if she took part in it.
http://biscuitclub.fc.yahoo.co.jp/6/1480/

Tomorrow she'll be at a bakery called Kyotofu at 1:30 to do work for Fuji TV.
http://twitter.com/kyotofu/status/12901724361

So far looks like she's having fun out there, but this stuff just makes me wish she'd pay another visit to San Fran, especially after watching this recent upload:

I've had to drive to and from SFO airport so many times it's like a second home to me, so this was quite jarring.

In other news, I finally got around to listening to her album recently. Her accent is strong and sometimes distracting, but she does a good job putting her vocal range on display and tackles the material with confidence. So far "Night and Day" and "Sunny" are my favorite tracks; upbeat tunes that remind me of SimCity 3000 music.

[J-Triumf]

To all the NYC HiPstas, Kago is back in town yet again! She'll be at Japanday in Central Park on Sunday:



She'll also be returning to the Birdland on Monday for that Jim Caruso open mic thing I mentioned in the previous post.

[kuro808]

^ wow she debuted in 02 , oh well good for her to plant some cherry blossom trees

[twissie]

Just noticed Kago's new twitter picture <,<;



(Kago's twitter)

EDIT: Oh.

私の後ろ姿ではありません。撮ったの私。

"It's not my back in the picture. I'm the one who took the picture".

[kuro808]

^ She really likes ass or whoever that is, it is really sexy

[Saburo]

I'm told a lot of local people here are tweeting up a storm about "Ai Kago: Jazz Singer."

I apologize on behalf of the 50th State...

[Saburo]

She's at some place in Kapahulu right now, for you locals in the house (all two of you?).

[kuro808]

Good to Grill near safeway

[Saburo]

Now how did some place in the Safeway complex snag Aibon? 

I mean, The Jazz Singer Ai Kago...

[J-Triumf]

I was under the impression that jazz is her thing now, as evidenced by her recent NYC trip:



Plus she just bought herself a new swimsuit, so she might be hanging around for a while...


And is that a tattoo???

[J-Triumf]

So apparently Aibon has a relative in Hawaii (who she says can barely speak Japanese)...Maki Norris of KZOO 1210 AM radio is her great aunt (maternal grandfather's sister).
http://gree.jp/kago_ai/blog/entry/461874476

Also, Kago will be appearing at Summer Sonic 2010 at the Tokyo/Chiba venue, hanging out with the likes of Stevie Wonder and A Tribe Called Quest:
http://www.summersonic.com/2010/lineup/

[Mugen]

what is this im hearing that kago ai wants to immigrate to US

[Slack]

You mean this?

http://www.tokyohive.com/general/kago-ai-wants-to-immigrate-to-the-u-s/

[kuro808]

^ well i think she has lived in the better cities in the u.s. maybe she should travel around and see the other areas

[cool_kickin_dude]

OK, if she does immigrate, please make sure she 's thinking of coming to NY or LA and tell us instead of making a surrpise appearance so we could not miss it

[J-Triumf]

Kago took care of a Q&A on her Gree blog:
http://gree.jp/kago_ai/blog/entry/466094844

I can't decide whether to translate it; feeling kinda lazy to do it all. One question in particular stood out for me, though:

Q、加護ちゃんのオススメ洋楽教えてください。
A、最近はB.o.BのNothing on you f.Bruno Mars

Q: Kago-chan, please give a western music recommendation.
A: Recently it's B.o.B's "Nothing on You" f/ Bruno Mars

The girl's got some good taste!