Nami Sagara is also known as TOKYO NAMMY for her underground works. She is a member of Japan’s Betsuni Nanmo Klezmer, led by Kazutoki Umezu, producing three CDs. Referring to her work with this band, Music Works of Canada said,
….an exercise in vocal madness that has Tokyo Nammycackle,quack,and honk as if convinced that such was humankind’s ultimate aim.
Nammy’s other performances include collaborations with Jon Rose, Yoshihide Otomo, John Zorn, David Moss, etc.
Nammy’s voice never ceases to surprise you. Tokyo Nammy Band is her latest exploration.
Nami Sagara started her singing in her mother’s womb. She graduated from Tokyo University of Arts (formally AKA Tokyo National University of Arts and Music) department of Vocal music, Japan’s premier arts and music school.
Classically trained as a Soprano, Nami’s singing portfolio ranges from very soft angelic to opera, jazz, rock and pure nuts. She sings a dozen languages including Farsi, Hindu, Hebrew, English and
Daniel Charles wrote about Nami’s voice
…contains precisely the exaggerated declamation, the quaver,the feminine shrill…all this more…Nami’s genius to be able to measure with such extreme precision and refinement every vocal effect used.
In 1992, Nami started her own band “OPERA” with Nahoko Kakiage. Nice-Matin of France referred to one of OPERA’s performances as
…two leather-wearing Japanese in a performance that would have blown the entire Zenith.
In Denmark, her band OPERA followed the Queen’s speech during The Arhus Festival 1995.
Later on the band took a twist in their music under the name “The Eccentric Opera”, producing four CDs with Epic Sony in Japan.
Mainichi Shinbun, a major Japanese newspapers wrote
… a pleasant sensation …broke all preconceived notions… border-less..their costume, acting is like wind-up dolls out of Fellini’s world.
The Eccentric Opera music has been listened to and used widely in Japan in radio programs, TV shows, and commercials.