Hibari Misora (May 29, 1937 – June 24, 1989) was an award-winning Japanese enka singer and actress. and was the first woman in Japan to receive the People’s Honour Award, which was awarded posthumously for her notable contributions to the music industry. Misora recorded 1,200 songs, and sold 68 million records. After she died, consumer demand for her recordings grew significantly, and by 2001 she had sold more than 80 million records. Her swan-song “Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni” is often performed by numerous artists and orchestras as a tribute to her, including notable renditions by The Three Tenors (Spanish/Italian), Teresa Teng (Taiwan),Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan (Mexico).
Photo: HIBARI PRODUCTION.
