Mana (Japanese musician)
- This article refers to the Japanese guitarist, composer, and designer. For the Mexican band, see Maná (band).
Mana is a Japanese musician and fashion designer, famed for his role as the leader and guitarist of the influential visual kei band Malice Mizer. He was known for his crossdressing during his work with Malice Mizer, but has since dropped the practice except for when modeling Moi-même-Moitié products. He is widely considered the creator and figurehead of Japan's Gothic Lolita fashion movement. Moi dix Mois is Mana's current project.
Background
Mana was born on March 19 in Hiroshima; while many unsubstantiated rumors proliferate, his real name and year of birth are unknown. At an early age, Mana was introduced to classical music by his parents, who were both music teachers; classical music has remained one of his main musical influences ever since. Mana has said that he started making music when he was in high school, at which time he listened to Mötley Crüe. Typically, Mana's compositions blend classical music (especially baroque music, featuring pipe organ and harpsichord) with heavy metal music, gothic rock, industrial music and other more unlikely elements such as French pop music.
After graduating from a music school, Mana moved to Tokyo.
Project history
Mana's first bands were Girl'e, a punk band active around 1989-1990, and Matenrou (摩天楼 Matenrō - skyscraper), active 1990-1992. After Matenrou's dissolution in April 1992, Mana and guitarist Közi founded Malice Mizer in August of that year. Mana was the band's lead guitarist, chief songwriter, choreographer and overall artistic director. He also founded his own indie music label, MidiːNette, on which most of Malice Mizer's work was released. After Malice Mizer went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, Mana founded his solo project Moi dix Mois. He composes all of Moi dix Mois' music, writes the lyrics, produces, directs and designs the project members' stage costumes.
In 1999, Mana created his own clothing label, Moi-même-Moitié, which features two lines of designs named Elegant Gothic Lolita and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat. Mana continues to regularly appear in the scene's top publication, the Gothic & Lolita Bible, modeling his own designs and giving updates on his various other projects.
In 2002, Mana signed the darkwave duo Schwarz Stein to MidiːNette and went on to produce for them. Despite their growing success, Schwarz Stein disbanded in March 2004, and Mana has since been looking for new bands to sign and produce.
In 2004, Mana started to branch out internationally by opening his fan club to overseas members (a rarity amongst Japanese musicians) and setting up international distribution channels for his music and fashion. He played his first concerts with Moi dix Mois outside Japan in March 2005 in Munich, Germany and Paris, France. In recent months he has been interviewed and featured on the cover of European music magazines such as the German Goth magazine Orkus.
Public behavior
Mana has rarely intentionally smiled or spoken in public. In his filmed interviews he whispers into the ear of a band member or confidante, who then relates his words back to the interviewer. He has also been known to simply look at the camera as subtitles appear, as well as using Yes/No cards. According to him this is because he considers his music to be his voice.
One of the few cases in which he has spoken is a 1996 Malice Mizer interview on the TV show Hot Wave, where he replied "Gitaa no Mana desu" ("I'm Mana, the guitarist") when asked about his name.
Almost nothing is known about Mana's private life, although he has said more than once that there is no difference between his stage persona and his real self, and that he wears makeup and women's clothing both on- and off-stage. Mana's favorite hobby is cooking along with anime, video games, and Italian horror films. His favourite foods are Takoyaki soaked in sake and curry, his favourite colors are blue and black.
See also
External links
- Monologue Theater, Mana's official home page
- MidiːNette, Mana's Indie music label
- Moi-même-Moitié, Mana's fashion label
- Mon+amour International, Mana's international fan club
- -scape-, fan site about the members of Malice Mizer and their post-breakup projects
- Mana-Sama.net, dedicated to facts about Mana
- mana-sama.cjb.net A fansite dedicated to Mana
- Electric Sound Products - Artist Model Series, ESP Artists Series page with pictures and specs of Mana's line of guitars, jeune fille.