, known professionally as Cindy, was a Japanese singer, lyricist, and composer. Originally working in music journalism, she met Stevie Wonder and worked with him. She later released four albums – Love Life (1986), Angel Touch (1990), Don't Be Afraid (1991), and Surprise (1997) – and worked as a lyricist and composer for artists like Miho Nakayama. Since her death, her music has been associated with city pop and gained popularity among DJs in Japan. Biography Mayumi Yamamoto, a native of Yokohama, was born on 5 May 1958. Her father was a Korean lyricist, and her mother was Japanese. Her stage name Cindy was her baptismal name, named after a fairy.
After graduating from Santa Maria International High School in Yokohama, she moved to the United States. She subsequently worked in music journalism, where she interviewed such musicians as Lionel Richie. She received the attention of Stevie Wonder during an interview on the job, and the two later participated in recording sessions. After returning to Japan in 1982, she performed several commercial songs and participated in the LP recording of her close friend Ann Lewis.
She sang "Chance On Love" and "Open Invitation", the theme songs of the 1981 anime adaptation of Urusei Yatsura; it was released as a single from Kitty Records in 1984. She released her debut album Love Life in 1986; Stevie Wonder worked on two of the album's songs. Her next two albums, Angel Touch and Don't Be Afraid, were released in 1990 and 1991. She also sang "Touch the Sky" as part of the collaboration album Tower of Love. Hata of Lightmellowbu said on Mikiki that Cindy's singing voice was like an "angel voice".
In addition to singing, she was a composer and lyricist, working with Miho Nakayama as well as some of her own songs; among Cindy's compositions for Nakayama were "Mermaid", "Witches" (both 1988), "Rosécolor" (1989), and "Semi-sweet Magic" (1990). She also worked with Tatsuro Yamashita as a chorus singer, including in recordings and concerts.
Cindy died on 17 December 2001 due to cancer.
In 2015, remastered CD editions of Angel Touch and Don't Be Afraid produced by were released. By 2021, several of Angel Touchs songs were being widely used in the Japanese DJ scene. One of them, "Watashitachi o Shinjite ite", was included in Sony Music Japan's 2021 city pop compilation Aldelight City: A New Standard For Japanese Pop 1975-2021 and in Hitoshi Kurimoto's 2024 album compilation City Pop Groovy 90's: Girls & Boys.
Discography Albums Title Year Details Peak chart positions Sales Ref. JPN Love Life 1986 Released: 1986 Label: Kitty Records — — Angel Touch 1990 Released: 25 June 1990 Label: Fun House — — Don't Be Afraid 1991 Released: 25 August 1991 Label: Fun House — — Surprise 1997 Released: 5 February 1997 Label: Fun House — — Singles Title Year Details Peak chart positions Sales Ref. JPN "Chance On Love/Open Invitation" 1984 Released: 1984 Label: Kitty Records — — "Think Your Love Away/Spread The Love" 1986 Released: 1986 Label: Kitty Records — — 1990 Released: 25 June 1990 Label: Fun House — — 1990 Released: 25 September 1990 Label: Fun House — — "Special Ever Happened/Christmas Time" 1990 Released: 25 November 1990 Label: Fun House — — 1991 Released: 25 August 1991 Label: Fun House — — References
External links (Sony Music Entertainment Japan)