Akiko Wada
 |
Akiko Wada | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 10, 1950 |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
Akiko Wada (和田 アキ子, Wada Akiko) (born April 10, 1950) is a female Japanese singer and television performer from Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka.
She has various nicknames, one being "Akko". Due to her above-average height (174 cm or 5'8.5"), she is also nicknamed "jotei" (女帝), meaning "empress".
Biography
Akiko Wada is of Korean ancestry. She was born Kim Bok-Ja (Korean: 김 복자, Hanja: 金 福子, Kim is the family name). Like many Zainichi Koreans, she also had a Japanese-style name for everyday use, Fukuko Kaneumi (金海福子, Kaneumi Fukuko). When she took Japanese citizenship, her name became Akiko Wada (和田 現子), which upon marriage became Akiko Iizuka (飯塚 現子, Iizuka Akiko).
She is signed to the Horipuro entertainment agency.[citation needed]
Career
She played the voice of as Bowser in Super Mario Bros.: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!.[1] She has also voiced Marge Simpson in the Japanese version of The Simpsons Movie.
She also performed with the music group M-Flo on the song "Hey!" on their 2005 album Beat Space Nine.
Wada became the first Asian to perform at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, when she performed there in September 2008 as part of her 40th debut anniversary tour.[2]
References
- ^ "Sûpâ Mario Burazâzu.: Pîchi-hime kyushutsu dai sakusen." Internet Movie Database. Accessed 29 May 2009.
- ^ "Akiko Wada performs at Apollo Theater in New York." Japan Today. 01 October 2008. Accessed 30 October 2008.
External links
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