Ayu Okakita's bio

Acoustic rocker Okakita Ayu has been musically involved from the age of 15, when winning a folk audition at her school. The following year she went to Indiana, USA to study and upon her re-arrival in Japan at 17 she entered university. It was there she formed the band ZZ Air World and participated as vocalist and acoustic guitarist. They played street lives until Ayu went solo in November 1999 with her first indie single "Watashi". It was available only by mail order and at her concerts. She released another single before her first indie mini-album Panda was released the next year in 2000.

In 2001, Ayu was signed to Universal Records and made her major debut with the single "Saite". She was able to release five more singles and two albums before leaving Universal in December 2003 to go indie again, working heavily as a member of indie band Pablonik. Before moving to London in 2004, she released her latest album Mimi wo Sumase.

Ayu moved back to Japan in 2005/2006 and released live CDs of her performances with Oasis Records. Her "Homecoming just for a while Live" was on April 29th, 2006. After this, Ayu is going back to London. close