Miyavi

Miyavi was the youngest member of the indie rock band named Dué le quartz. At that time he was called Miyabi, which means "Elegant". His flamboyant charm and skill as a musician is what earned him a loyal following. Sadly, Dué le quartz broke up in September 2002. Some fans took comfort in the fact that Miyabi was going solo. He appeared on TV with his new name "Miyavi", announcing the release of his first album, gagaku. When he released his first video, "Girls, be Ambitious", a lot of those Dué le quartz fans backed away, shaking their heads in disbelief. Indeed, Miyavi and Miyabi are very different from one another, visually and artistically. Though there was not an entirely large amount of room for him to express himself as a guitarist with the band, it seems Miyavi's new outlet has allowed him to explore every end of the music spectrum. While many of his old fans were let down and disappointed, an army of new fans found their way to his work and devoured it lovingly.

In his solo work he seems to enjoy his youth and natural charm to the extreme in eccentric music videos and photo shoots. He's had every color hair to go with his sometimes space-aged (sometimes circus-themed) costumes that are nothing like those he flaunted when in Dué le quartz. He's released a variety of videos, singles, and two albums so far. While the music on his first album is basically within the same genre range, comparing any of those tracks to 'Ashita tenki ni nare' from the 'Jingle Bell' single is like comparing winter to summer. Likewise, 'Shindemo Boogie Woogie' has a much different feel to it than 'Pop is Dead'. The point? Miyavi doesn't see the need to limit himself to a certain mold when he writes music. And this observation is not limited to mood. It involves instruments, vocal range, presentation, and just about everything else. He creates music that is acoustic, melodic, catchy as hell, and sometimes just plain noisy. There's something for everyone, if you're willing to give him a try.

There are many theories behind his name change but most of them are based on the idea that he has felt personal growth, and is no longer the same person he was when he was with Dué le quartz. Others say it's because he's just crazy and likes to do things that make people wonder what's going on inside his head. I've seen a lot of disappointment in the fact that he is no longer nearly as visual as he used to be. I guess him dressing up as a Geisha or a vampire isn't cutting it for those fans. Miyavi himself has said it's kind of strange not being as visual as he used to be. Before his first live he wasn't sure what to do with his extra time, since it used to be consumed with hours of makeup application and hair styling. He did say, however, that he does still practice visual appeal and he will continue to entertain his fans this way.

Miyavi's solo personna is classified by his incredible camera presence, an upper body littered with tattoos (he claims each of them represent something that has occured in his life), his ability to make bizarre dancing look good, and the fact that he smiles with two rows of teeth. Currently his favorite things to do are eat chicken and sleep, with occasional visits to the dentist [/humor]... A knowledge of Miyavi's dental history may be helpful in understanding his complaints in that department. Miyavi spends plenty of free time on his computer updating his "diary" (which is not actually a diary but a place where he can write messages to fans), and reading emails from his loyal followers. He asks them to send jokes and pictures when he needs to be cheered up. He thanks them for being there. He tells them he loves them, no matter what country they're from or who they are. He's never afraid to get up close to fans during lives, holding their hands and even reading their fanmail on stage (those I know who've been able to witness this personally all raved the same way: Miyavi loves his fans, and his fans love him unconditionally).

As I said before, he's bound for magnificant things and has accomplished so much in such a short time that a lot of us are still wondering if it's all too good to be true. I think all of our mouths hung open when he played along side PATA, Ru-ku, Chirolyn, and Shinya in October 2004, and before that when he released his own movie. He shows no sign of slowing down and with the adoration he has for his fans (which he makes known constantly), we're showing no sign of giving up on him.