Mari Hiki, better known by her stage name Kahimi Karie, is a Japanese singer, songwriter and photographer.
13 Facts About Kahimi Karie
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Kahimi Karie's music is closely associated with the Shibuya-kei aesthetic.
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Kahimi Karie began her music career in 1990 at the encouragement of fellow Shibuya-kei artist Cornelius, whom she collaborated with on many of her early works, and whose trendy Trattoria label released many of her EPs in the mid-1990s.
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Kahimi Karie later moved to Paris and released several studio albums on the Crue-L and Polydor labels.
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Kahimi Karie was thereafter raised by her father, a prominent doctor in Utsunomiya.
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Kahimi Karie moved to Tokyo after graduating high school and entered a vocational college to study photography.
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In 1990, at the suggestion of her then-boyfriend Keigo Oyamada, Kahimi Karie began her musical career performing vocals for a house band signed to his friend's record label.
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Kahimi Karie later performed vocals alongside Takako Minekawa as the duo Fancy Face Groovy Name.
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In 1992, Kahimi Karie issued her first solo single, "Mike Alway's Diary", which was produced by Oyamada.
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Kahimi Karie later moved to Paris to pursue her career further.
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The album found Kahimi Karie pursuing a more experimental musical direction.
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Kahimi Karie has released three subsequent albums for Victor: Montage, Nunki and It's Here.
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Kahimi Karie is married to tap dancer Kazunori Kumagai, with whom she has one daughter.