Occupation:
Singer, Songwriter
Style:
Soul, Jazz, R&B, Funk
Started:
2001
Status: Active
DOB : 08/06/1974
Similar Artists :
Ken Yokoyama (Crazy Ken Band)
Sounds likes :
70's funk. Earth, Wind, & Fire.
Record Labels: Sony music Japan,
RandC, Claims to be an amateur at his myspace page.
Career Bio:
Following info is derived from
Junpei's Japan wiki page.
Written by David Tamoro 9/25/2008
Junpei Shiina is a R&B
singer-songwriter from Japan. He was born in Urawa-shi, Saitama, but he actually
grew up in Fukuoka.
He attended an audition, and made his debut in 2001 when he was signed to Sony music Japan. Junpei has established quite a unique reputation as a R&B artist due to his adherence to Japanese style poetry. (Not unlike Shiina Ringo.)
He transferred labels to RandC once his contract with Sony Music Japan expired.
In conclusion: Junpei is doing decently for himself. He's more famous for being the older brother of Shiina Ringo, but hey at least it's something.
He hasn't released anything since 2006, but he
does some collabos with his sister's rock band every now & then.
I just find it a sad shame that a man with a voice as impeccable as his is being
greatly overshadowed by lesser R&B vocalists such as Hi-D, Miliyah Kato, & the
like. Then again this could be greatly attributed to his lyrical style which
often contains much more mature subject matter than your average Hi-D joint
would contain.
Shiina Junpei will never make it big, but at least he's an established name. If only because he shows that eccentric artistry runs within the veins of the Shiina family.
Trivia:
*Shiina Junpei is Shiina Ringo's older brother.
*He's had a private marriage to a non celebrity.
 椎名純平
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Discography:
Albums Live album : LiveAlbum (1999/12/18) 1st: Shina Junpei (2001/07/18) 2nd: discover (2002/05/27) 3rd: Sweet fragrance of night (2003/06/25) 4rth: Rhodes to Freedom (Best hits album) (2004/10/27)
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Images,
music samples & videos are displayed for educational and decorative purposes
only under the
"fair use" clause.
Music/
Gallery/
Video/
Lyrics/
If Tsubaki has the most beautiful
female voice in Japan. (And she does mind you.) Then let it be said that Junpei
has one of the sexiest, deepest male vocals you will ever hear homegrown from
Japan. I didn't really think much about Junpei when I first heard him,
because I wasn't into Soul music at the time.
I was still banging to gangsta rap.
(I made an exception for Tsubaki, for some reason. If you must know it had
nothing to do with her visage. There was just something about her voice that
held me prisoner.)
PROS: A phenomenal voice. A
very mature look, and a penchant for musical complexity.
Junpei doesn't make joints that you bump & grind to "in da clubs". He makes pure
sounds of the soul. Music that can heal & cleanse you of your woes.
CONS: I honestly can't find any real faults with Shiina Junpei. It's easy to see that the main reason he doesn't sell is because his music is too sophisticated to mass market to the masses. He'd have trouble trying to sell his music in any country in the world.
In a way it seems that the only reason he hasn't been completely forgotten yet is because he's the brother of Shiina Ringo.
Why is he such a failure?:
He's a true music artist. Junpei is the type of guy who would be more at home in
a live house rather than behind a recording studio.
Granted, his sister Ringo is also a true musician. The difference between the
two is that Junpei uses a music style that's mostly incompatible with Japanese
audiences.
What could've been done?: Nothing. Not unless you wanted to tamper with Junpei's artistic integrity. It's highly doubtful that it would ever happen though. He's a Shiina.
Reality : He's himself.
What I would've done: Don't ask me. Junpei seems to be the type of guy who makes his own decisions.
So what could really be done?: ...
Is there any hope at all?: Shiina Junpei is a pure prestige artist. He may never make it big, but at least he'll have a long career in the music biz due to the constant high quality of his work.