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Rimi Natsukawa, born 夏川 りみ on October 9, 1973, in Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan, is a singer known for her folk pop and J-pop music. From a young age, she was inspired by her father's singing of Yaeyama folk songs and began practicing enka singing at age seven. Natsukawa won several local competitions, including the Chibikko Nodo Jiman Daikai in 1982 and the Nagasaki Kayōsai in 1986. At 13, she was scouted by Pony Canyon and moved to Tokyo for her debut as Misato Hoshi, releasing three singles between 1989 and 1992. After returning to Okinawa, Natsukawa re-debuted under Victor Entertainment in 1999 with the single "Yūbae ni Yurete". Her breakthrough came with the cover of Begin's "Nada Sōsō", released in March 2001, which became a hit on Okinawan radio and charted in the Oricon top 100 singles charts by May 2002. Natsukawa's debut album てぃだ 〜太陽・風ぬ想い〜 was released in September 2002, followed by several albums featuring Okinawan folk songs and original compositions. Notable releases include "Warabigami (Yamatoguchi)", nominated for the Japan Record Award, and collaborations with artists like Kazufumi Miyazawa and The Gospellers. In 2006, her compilation album Rimi Natsukawa Selection reached Number 1 on the Taiwanese album charts. Natsukawa continued to release original material and compilations, including the bilingual Japanese/Chinese album Uta Sagashi -Asia No Kaze- in February 2010.
