The queen of Japan's R&B scene, Misia, makes her Shanghai debut on October 25 at Zhabei Stadium. The hugely successful singer has been called Japan's Mariah Carey but Misia tells Yao Minji she's no copycat

Japanese R&B diva Misia is known for her five-octave range and Mariah Carey style, but the 30-year-old artist says she's no Carey copycat.

"I wasn't copying her singing style," 30-year-old Misia emphasized yet again during the press conference for her debut Shanghai concert scheduled on October 25 at Zhabei Stadium. She is commonly called "Japan's Mariah Carey."

The concert is part of her Tour of Misia Discotheque Asia that has taken her to Singapore, South Korea, China's Hong Kong and Taiwan. The tour marks the 10th anniversary of her performing debut.

Misia, who now leads a R&B trend in Japan, grew up in Tsushima Island in southern Japan and has studied singing since she was in middle school.

She has never revealed her real name although the name Ito Misaki was circulated widely online. Her stage name, Misia, is taken from the word "Asia" and her record company hopes that she will become a household name around the continent.

She has done extraordinarily well in Japan. Her first album "Mother Father Brother Sister" hit No. 1 on Japan's influential Oricon chart in 1998.

The next year, Misia won Best New Artist and Best Pop Album of the Year at the crucial Nihon Golden Disc Awards.

Her first three albums sold more than 2.5 million copies each and total CD sales have exceeded 20 million. She was also the first female artist to hold concerts at the five major domed stadiums in Japan in 2004.

And her success led a R&B trend in Japan that still continues today.

Her most popular songs, including "It's Just Love" and "Marvelous" were recorded by Korean and Chinese pop stars, but Misia isn't as famous outside Japan as many of her performing peers.

She doesn't appear very often on variety shows or TV serial dramas and has only recently started touring Asia.

"I spend most of my time preparing for concerts, that's also why I don't appear on TV as much as other artists," Misia told her Shanghai press conference where she wore her trademark colorful head scarf and large sunglasses.

The Zhabei concert will be outdoors on the grass and three stages will be constructed, requiring about nine days for the setup.

"Although the repertoire is about the same everywhere, my concerts are different depending on the place and the atmosphere," she said. One special feature is a DJ who comes out and performs live.

"People were very friendly when I visited Shanghai three years ago as a tourist," she said. "I'm very happy to be here again."

She said she plans to visit the Jade Temple "to pray for the success of my concert."

Misia has prepared far more than most Japanese singers who only spend a few days learning Chinese before their performance.

Misia impressed reporters and fans at her press conference by delivering her remarks in fluent Chinese for nearly 10 minutes without help from a translator.

She had practiced Chinese three times a week for nearly three months before that.

She also sang her hit "It's Just Love" in Chinese for her performances in Taiwan and Hong Kong and will do the same in Shanghai.

(Shanghai Daily October 9, 2008)