Cocco

Makishi Satoko (Japanese: 真喜志 智子), known professionally as , is a Japanese pop/folk rock singer.

Early life Cocco attended numerous ballet auditions in pursuit of becoming a professional ballerina. To cover travel expenses for a ballet audition in Tokyo, she also participated in singing auditions. Although she did not pass the ballet audition, she impressed the judges and was later signed by Victor Entertainment.

Career Cocco made her debut on an indie label under the name "Cocko" with a self-titled EP Cocko on November 21, 1996. A track from the EP, Sing a Song ~No Music, No Life~, was used in an advertising campaign for Tower Records Japan.

On March 21, 1997, Cocco changed the official spelling of her name to "Cocco" and released her major label debut single Countdown. A full-length album followed shortly after. It was not until 1998 when she scored a big hit in Japan with Tsuyoku Hakanaimonotachi, which sold more than 250,000.

Cocco went on to record three more albums – Kumuiuta in 1998, Rapunzel in 2000, and Sangurōzu in 2001. Before the release of Sangurōzu, Cocco announced she was retiring from the music business. Later that year, her label released a career retrospective, Best + Ura Best + Mihappyōkyokushū, which contained her singles, some b-sides and five unreleased tracks.

Her retirement did not last long. In 2002, she published her first art book, Minami no Shima no Hoshi no Suna. In August 2003, she organized a benefit concert to raise awareness about cleaning up beaches in Okinawa. A DVD documentary entitled Heaven's Hell followed in December.

2004 saw her appearance on the Yutaka Ozaki cover album "BLUE" and the publication of her second book, Minami no Shima no Koi no Uta, which was accompanied by a limited edition single, "Garnet/Celeste Blue". In 2005, Cocco collaborated with photographer/singer Nanaco on a CD/book combination titled The Bird.

In late 2004, Cocco teamed up with Shigeru Kishida of the Japanese rock group Quruli to re-record "Sing a Song" for Tower Records' 25th Anniversary in Japan. The sessions inspired the formation of Singer Songer, a band featuring Cocco, Kishida, Quruli bassist Masashi Sato, Cornelius support keyboardist Hirohisa Horie and former FEED drummer Dai Taro.

Singer Songer made its live debut as special guests at Quruli's year-end concert in December 2004, and in May 2005, the band released a single, "Shoka Rinrin". An album, Barairo Pop was released in June 2005. It contains a selection of country-flavored tracks that are much happier than Cocco's previous works.

In April 2006, she wrote a series of essays for Mainichi Shimbun. Since then, Cocco has continued to write for various newspapers and magazines.

On July 7, 2007, Cocco performed at the Japanese leg of Live Earth at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba. After releasing the album Kira Kira, she started living in the UK and went to college to learn photography.

In 2010, Cocco published her first long novel, Polomerria. She performed at the World Happiness 2010 rock festival in Tokyo on August 8 and released Emerald, her first self-produced album, on August 11. She also provided the theme song, Yagi no Sanpo, for 14-year-old director Ryugo Nakamura's debut feature film Yagi no Boken. She got a letter from the youngest film director in Japanese film history, and she decided to help the boy.

In 2011, the no-budget indie film Inspired movies produced by Cocco and her fellow video artists was released.

In 2011, Cocco made her acting debut, starring in KOTOKO, directed by Shinya Tsukamoto. She was also responsible for the art direction and music.

She covered "Good Bye" for the June 6, 2018 hide tribute album Tribute Impulse.

Discography

Studio albums Year Album details Chart positions Total sales 1997

33122,000 1998

1878,000 2000

1380,000 2001

5226,000 2006

3127,000 2007

691,000 2010

539,000 2014

2014

2016

2019

14 6,403 2021

9 2022

15 2024

19 3,375

Compilation albums Year Album details Chart positions Total sales 2001

1 504,000 2011

4 2017

Singles

Indie label Year Title 1996 "Cokco" Label: bounce (indie label)

Major label Re-cut single. 10 37,000 25 32,000 Sangu Rose2001 16 38,000 Okinawa only VHS+8 cm single. — — Released on same day as Sangu Rose. 12 55,000 2006 5 80,000 Zancyan 4 48,000 2007 September Okinawan release, November all-Japan release. 14 32,000 — 2009 Four season-themed EP with lead track "Kinuzure." 6 18,000 Emerald 2010 "Nirai Kanai" 20 12,000

Others

Cocco-chan to Shigeru-kun is a prototype of Singer Songer, and the member doesn't change. Year Album details 2004 Sing a Song (No Music, No Love Life)

Singer Songer Singer Songer is a musical group consists of five musicians, featuring Cocco as a lead singer. Year Album details2005

Videography

Music video compilations Year Album details Notes 2001

Includes the music videos of singles. Released on same day as Best + Ura Best + Mihappyōkyokushū. 2011 Cocco Inspired movies

Contains the videos which the video creators inspired by the Cocco's songs made and was shown on Ustream for a limited time. Released to aid the disaster victims of the Tohoku earthquake.

Best of music crips of Cocco associated with the album "The Best Ban".

Concert tour videos Year Album details Notes 2008

Contains Kira-Kira Live Tour, shot live from Nippon Budokan. The first day is the band performance and the second day is the acoustic live. Limited Edition includes special DVD 2011 Emerald Tour 2010

Contains Emerald Tour 2010, shot live in Tokyo on November 11, 2010. Limited Edition includes key case and clear box.

Documentaries Year Album details Notes 2003 Heaven's Hell

Contains broadcast on TBS "NEWS23" and Ryukyu Broadcasting Corporation "Ryū no Hige." Limited Edition featured bonus 12 cm CD "Heaven's hell". 2009

Documentary following Kira-Kira Live Tour. Released in theaters on December 13, 2008. Limited Edition featured bonus 12 cm CD & photobook.

Filmography

Movies Year Film Name Character Name Film director 2008 (documentary) Hirokazu Kore-eda 2011 Kotoko Shinya Tsukamoto 2016 A Bride for Rip Van Winkle Shunji Iwai