Rina Chinen

Rina Chinen (知念 里奈, Chinen Rina, born 9 February 1981) is a Japanese entertainer, former singer, model, and TV actress. She was born in Okinawa.

Music career

Debuting in 1996 with the Single "Do-Do for Me", Chinen's career transitioned through bouncy pop songs and ballads to rock and then R&B. Chinen had a powerful and versatile voice and could deliver powerful rock ballads such as "In Your Eyes", hard rock "Yes!" or bouncy pop-cum-dance "Baby Love". Her voice is at its best when she sings at lower, throaty pitches. Some earlier songs such as "God Bless the World" and "Wing" sung in a high-pitched voice, perhaps in an attempt to come across as cutesy, are not so pleasant to the ear. Although there are many high-pitched singers in Japan, in Chinen's case this tended to polarise listeners.^[1]

Her last album, Breath, was released in 2001. This took on a more R&B flavour which Chinen said on her Sony homepage was more to her interests.^[2] At this point her music career seems to have stalled. Unlike her earlier albums, this one was not well promoted. Chinen made only a few media appearances.^[3]

Chinen spent the early years of her singing career doubling as on-air talent for the Yoru mo Hippare TV show.

Drama actress

In 2002, Chinen appeared in the Japanese TV drama Yume no California (夢のカリフォルニア, literally, California of the dream — also known as California Dreamin). In 2007, she appeared in the Tokyo production of Les Misérables.^[4]

Marriage

On 10 August 2005, Chinen at the age of 24 registered her marriage to model Kentaro Nakamura, aged 22. The couple were expecting a child at the time she was cast in the December musical "Jekyll and Hyde". Her part was consequently reassigned to Ranran Suzuki. Chinen announced she planned on taking maternity leave after the drama finished its season, and would continue working after becoming a mother.^[5]

Chinen gave birth to a baby boy on 14 March 2006,^[6] and got a divorce on 15 March 2007.^[7]

Discography

Singles

• 'Do-Do For Me' (21 October 1996)
• 'precious delicious' (31 March 1997)
• 'Pinch -Love Me Deeper-' (18 September 1997)
• 'Break out Emotion' (28 January 1998)
• 'Wing' (15 April 1998)
• 'Be yourself' (15 July 1998)
• 'Yes' (13 January 1999)
• 'God Bless the World' (31 March 1999)
• 'Be proud' (23 June 1999)
• 'In Your Eyes' (29 September 1999)
• 'Baby Love' (9 February 2000)
• 'Love, make together' (20 September 2000)
• 'Club Zipang' (15 November 2000) -- adapted from Ricky Martin's "She Bangs"
• 'Just Believe' (6 December 2000)
• 'Love you close' (7 March 2001)

Albums

• Growing (10 June 1998)
• Passage -Best Collection- (23 March 2000)
• Breath (4 July 2001)

DVD

• Plain Video Clips (19 September 1998)
• Rina Clips 98-00 (29 March 2000)

Video

• Plain Video Clips (29 July 1998)
• Rina Chinen Growing Tour 1999 (14 July 1999)
• Rina Clips 98-00 (29 March 2000)

Musicals

• Jekyll and Hyde - Emma Carew (December 2003) (Her part had been consequently reassigned to Ranran Suzuki due to maternity leave.)
• Miss Saigon, Kim (2004-2014), Ellen (2016- )
• Fiddler on the Roof, Hodel (2004)
• Les Misérables,- Cosette (2005), Eponine (2007-2009), Fantine (2011- )
• Rudolf, Princess Stephanie of Belgium (2008)
• Dance of the Vampires, Sarah (2009-2011)
• She Loves Me, Ilona Ritter (2009)
• Himeyuri - Kimi (2010)
• Ludwig B - Eleanore von Breuning (2014)

References

External links

• Official website
• Rina Chinen at the Internet Movie Database
• Rina Actress Profile - jdorama.com