Why did Norah Jones, the world’s diva, appear at Tokyo Station after five years in Japan?
American jazz singer and pianist Norah Jones (43) visited Japan for the first time in five years.
She said, “I was originally scheduled to come to Japan in 20 years, but due to the spread of a new virus, I had to postpone my visit. But as a result, we were able to perform in Japan at the memorial timing of the 20th anniversary of her debut, and Nora herself said, ‘This is my first visit to Japan in five years, so I can’t wait to go to Japan! See you at the venue. I’ll see you at the venue. I love you” (Udo Music Office YouTube Japanese subtitle), and she was looking forward to it so much that she commented beforehand.
Since her debut in 2002, she has been acclaimed around the world for her multiple talents, including a pop sensibility different from existing jazz singers, her unique voice, and her outstanding piano skills. The album has sold approximately 30 million copies (as of May 2022). She has also won nine Grammy Awards and reigns as a “global diva.
On her Japan tour this time, she performed 6 shows in 4 cities, starting with Sapporo on the 11th, followed by Sendai, Nippon Budokan, and Osaka-jo Hall. I spotted Nora on the Shinkansen platform at Tokyo Station at lunchtime in mid-October.
She was probably boarding the Tohoku Shinkansen with her staff to go to the Budokan after the Sendai concert, but when she got off the Shinkansen, she was carrying only a large carry-on bag and a backpack. She was dressed as lightly as a foreign tourist, with just a shoulder-length waist pouch, a flower-print one-piece dress, and a jean jacket, and looked very cool and well-dressed. The staff was also very lightly dressed, so few people noticed their presence.
Nora’s standard performance at her live shows is to play the guitar as well as the piano, to perform songs with an intense groove with the backing band, and to say “Arigatou (thank you)” and “I love you” in broken Japanese during the performance. The cheers of “Arigatou” (thank you) from the audience, thrilled by her first performance in five years, never ceased.
