Born in Tokyo, Japan to a Japanese mother and Italian-American father (both jazz musicians) and raised both in Japan and the U.S., Monday's bicultural rearing led to a more liberal approach to mixing genres and cultural influences into her music.
Monday was classically trained on the flute, studying at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy after winning scholarships through both the school and the Armstrong Scholarship Fund, before switching her interest and instrument towards the voice and composition. Her initial influences were at first varied and at times eclectic: Kate Bush, The Police and later Sting, Scritti Politti, Steely Dan, Carol King, Chick Corea, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire, etc.
It was in 1987 when she was scouted to play the lead in a Japanese movie (which earned her Best New Actress in 3 prestigious awards, including the Japan Academy, equivolant to the American Oscars) that led her to move to Tokyo, and the world of music was opened to her where she had access to music more than ever before from around the globe such as Brazil, France, Africa, etc. It was especially the music from New York's underground club scene and the U.K. that peaked her interest and began to influence her heavily.
By the mid to late 90s, Monday began releasing a stream of solo albums and also as a featured guest in various groups such as Basement Jaxx, Mondo Grosso, Kyoto Jazz Massive, System 7, etc. While her earlier classical training and natural environment of jazz that her parents represented provided her with plenty of musical knowledge and leverage, the powerful grooves that framed her music invited club music fans to embrace her songs on a different level.
To date, Monday has been in countless music festivals and performed at clubs and halls in Europe and Japan, has seen releases around the globe, and has a strong following who respect her work. She currently is residing in New York and has independently released a new album ""Routes"" through the innovative Grammy-award winning internet company ArtistShare, available exclusively through her website: www.mondaymichiru.com
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Routes Interlude
A short minute interlude of dumbe percussion and Russian spoken word in a dubby format
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Ambient
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Hung Up
A Jazzy Latin-Soul Rhythmic and Organic number with great musical drive
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R&B/Soul
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Be Who You Are
A funky hip-hop beat with sassy feminist vocals, this song can make the head bop from the groove and lyrics
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Urban soul
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Philosophy Road
A beautiful and soulful sexy number with flugelhorn blissful solo moments
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R&B/Soul
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Touch the Sky
A tribal and ethereal groove with a touch of Latin
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Electronic
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Remember
A mesmerizing production and song in a new groove, combining folk-soul and electronica
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Electronic
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Dig Deep
A hybrid of jazz-fusion from the '70s Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" era and flower child lyrics and vocals, with bossa acoustic guitars in parts and wild vibing instrumental with Moog and electric guitar
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Alternative
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Don't
Jazz and soul combined to make this beautiful song develop into a deep and driven piece, with excellent live playing
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Jazz
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Yellow Light
In a bebop style but with a modern and pop flare
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Jazz
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I'm Still Here
A simple and positive song in the r&b soul vein
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R&B/Soul
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I Couldn't See
A beautiful and percussive soulful song with lush horn arrangements and harmonies
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R&B/Soul
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A New Way
A perfect title for the hybrid character of this song, which has a lulling reggae dub feel alongside bossa guitars and a singular thought-provoking vocals
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World Fusion
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