Begin (band)

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Begin (ビギン, Bigin, IPA: [biɡiɴ], stylized as BEGIN) is a Japanese pop rock group from Ishigaki Island in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Their sound contains many elements of traditional Okinawan music, and prominently features the sanshin.

The members of Begin – Eishō Higa (比嘉栄昇) (sanshin, vocals), Masaru Shimabukuro (島袋優) (guitar), and Hitoshi Uechi (上地等) (piano) – are all from Ishigaki Island. They have been friends since elementary school. They also attended the same senior high school but upon graduation all intended to go their separate ways. One day, Eishō gathered the members together again and they began to focus on music. On December 5, 1988, they sang at a friend's wedding, calling themselves "Begin" for the first time. Soon they began to become famous. As of 13 November 2006^[update] they have released 22 singles, 24 albums and 8 DVDs. Perhaps their most famous song is "Nada Sōsō", a collaboration between Begin and Ryōko Moriyama. Begin has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. They are also the performers of the "Ichariba Ohana" and "Izayoi Yoi", the opening and first ending themes of the Disney-produced anime series Stitch!.

• "Blue Snow" (1990)
• "Koishikute" (恋しくて, 1990)
• "Sora ni hoshi ga aru yōni" (空に星があるように, 1997, 2000)
• "Nada Sōsō" (涙そうそう, 2000)
• "Akari" (灯り, 2001)
• "Shimanchu nu Takara" (島人ぬ宝, 2002)
• "Sanshin no hana" (三線の花, 2006)
• "Egao no manma" (笑顔のまんま, 2009)

• BEGIN Official Web Site
• Profile Page at Imperial Records

• Music of Japan

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