Columbia Music Entertainment
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese record label
founded in 1910 as . It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company
of the United Kingdom
and adopted the standard UK Columbia trademarks in 1931. The company changed its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. It used the Nippon Columbia name until October 1, 2002, when it became . Since October 1, 2010, the company has returned to its current name. Outside Japan, the company operates as the Savoy Label Group which releases recordings on the SLG, Savoy Jazz
and Denon labels. It also manufactured electronic products under the Denon
brand name until 2001.
(part of the Sony Music group in the United States and operates in Japan as Sony Music Entertainment Japan
) or the British EMI
group, of which the original Columbia Graphophone Co. was a part, and operated in Japan as Toshiba-EMI. The label is notable, however, for continuing to use the historical "Magic Notes" logo, which has been associated with the Columbia name since the label's founding.
-winning singer Hibari Misora
belonged to the label. This label is also known for dropping Ayumi Hamasaki
, the best-selling solo artist in Japanese Oricon
history (since 1968), before her rise to fame. It happened after her first single "Nothing from Nothing" and album of the same name flopped, due to little or no promotion. She subsequently met her current producer, Max Matsuura
, who is now President of Avex.
Also included in the roster:
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
founded in 1910 as . It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and adopted the standard UK Columbia trademarks in 1931. The company changed its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. It used the Nippon Columbia name until October 1, 2002, when it became . Since October 1, 2010, the company has returned to its current name. Outside Japan, the company operates as the Savoy Label Group which releases recordings on the SLG, Savoy Jazz
Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
and Denon labels. It also manufactured electronic products under the Denon
Denon
is a Japanese electronics company that was involved in the early stages of development of digital audio technology, while specializing in the manufacture of high-fidelity professional and consumer audio equipment. For many decades, Denon was a brand name of Nippon-Columbia, including the Nippon...
brand name until 2001.
Other Information
Aside from common historical roots, the current Nippon Columbia label has no direct relation with either the American Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(part of the Sony Music group in the United States and operates in Japan as Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
) or the British EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
group, of which the original Columbia Graphophone Co. was a part, and operated in Japan as Toshiba-EMI. The label is notable, however, for continuing to use the historical "Magic Notes" logo, which has been associated with the Columbia name since the label's founding.
Artists
Japanese People's Honour AwardPeople's Honour Award
is one of the commendation bestowed by the Prime Minister of Japan. The award is not restricted to Japanese nationals. The award was created in 1977 and Sadaharu Oh, a Taiwanese national, is the first one to have been bestowed it.-Recipients:...
-winning singer Hibari Misora
Hibari Misora
was an award-winning Japanese enka singer and actress. and was the first woman in Japan to receive the People's Honour Award, which was awarded posthumously for her notable contributions to the music industry. Misora recorded 1,200 songs, and sold 68 million records. After she died, consumer demand...
belonged to the label. This label is also known for dropping Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
, the best-selling solo artist in Japanese Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
history (since 1968), before her rise to fame. It happened after her first single "Nothing from Nothing" and album of the same name flopped, due to little or no promotion. She subsequently met her current producer, Max Matsuura
Max Matsuura
, better known as Max Matsuura, is a record producer and president of one of the largest music labels in Japan, Avex Group. He is known mainly for discovering and developing new artists and converting them into big stars. Ayumi Hamasaki is the most famous example of Matsuura's work...
, who is now President of Avex.
Also included in the roster:
- Kiyoshi HikawaKiyoshi Hikawais a Japanese enka singer who was born on September 6, 1977 in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. His real name is and he is known as "The Prince of Enka" due to his young age and popularity...
- Kaela KimuraKaela Kimura, born , is a Japanese pop rock singer, songwriter, model, and TV presenter.- Career :Born in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan to a British father and Japanese mother, Kaela started working as a model in 2002 for the Japanese magazine Seventeen...
- not yetNot Yet (band)Not Yet is a sub-unit of the all-female Japanese pop group AKB48.-History:The formation of Not Yet was announced at AKB48's Request Hour Set List Best 100 2011 on January 21, 2011...
- Yoshiki
Labels
- Animex
- B-C
- CME Records
- Columbia House
- Columbia International
- Columbia Japan
- Columbia Readymade (founded as ********* records, tokyo and renamed as Readymade Records)
- Columbia Records (unrelated to the US labelColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
) - Denon
- Heat Wave
- Hug Columbia
- M-Train
- Nexstar Records
- Passion
- Savoy RecordsSavoy RecordsSavoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
- Triad