Himeka

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Himeka

| image = Himeka ja Yukihiro Notsu merepäevad 2011 684.jpg

| alt = Himeka and conductor Yukihiro Notsu in Tallinn Maritime Days

| caption = Himeka and conductor Yukihiro Notsu in Tallinn Maritime Days, July 2011

| image_size =

| birth_name = Catherine St. Onge

| alias =

| birth_date = July 20, 1981

| origin = Quebec, Canada

| instrument =

| genre = Pop

| occupation = Singer

| years_active = 2009–2014

| label = Sony Music Japan International (2009–2012)
Mages./amuleto (2012–2014)

| associated_acts =

| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20111117010926/http://www.himeka.info/ HIMEKA (website) (archive)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120222134153/http://himeka.wordpress.com/ 1st blog - HIMEKA in JAPAN (archive)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160317085031/http://6109.jp/himeka/ 2nd blog (archive)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309182731/http://blog.livedoor.jp/himeka_officialblog 3rd blog (archive)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190813021559/https://moonchildshealingtears.wordpress.com/ Latest blog (archive)]

}}

Catherine St. Onge (born July 20, 1981), better known by her stage name {{nihongo|Himeka|ヒメカ}} (stylized as HIMEKA), is a French Canadian descent anime song singer no longer active in Japan. While fluent in English and her native French, she is moderately proficient in Japanese. Her stage name, Himeka, comes from a character she created in a story she wrote when she was 13 years old.

Career

Born in Quebec, St-Onge was very interested in theater and music. At the age of 12, St-Onge taught herself English by singing Disney songs. Soon after at 13, she began writing her own stories in which Himeka was the main character.{{cite web | year=2009 | title=Interview with Valkyria Chronicles OP singer Himeka| url=http://www.presepe.jp/m44/show/id/Ok24F0qiQmQ%3D | accessdate=April 8, 2009 |language=Japanese }} Her interest in Japanese culture started at the age of 15 when she saw an episode of the anime series Sailor Moon.{{cite web|url=http://www.himeka.info/|title=Official website profile|publisher=Sony Music Entertainment Japan|date=May 10, 2009|accessdate=May 10, 2008|language=Japanese}} In 2008, St-Onge moved to Japan to pursue her singing career.{{cite web |url=http://www.nt2099.com/J-ENT/INTERVIEWS/HIMEKA/himeka.pdf | title=J!-ENT interviews Himeka by J!-ENT's Dennis A. Amith|accessdate=September 26, 2009 }}

She was the winner of the Second Annual Animax Anison Grand Prix, which gathers aspiring singers from all over Japan for the chance to make a professional debut and sing a theme song in an anime television show.{{cite web | year=2008 | title=27-Year-Old Canadian Wins Animax's Singing Contest| url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-22/27-year-old-canadian-wins-aniplex-singing-contest | accessdate=March 26, 2009 }} Her debut single "Asu e no Kizuna", released on May 27, 2009, was the opening theme to the anime adaptation of the PlayStation 3 video game Valkyria Chronicles.{{cite web | year=2009 | title=Canada's St. Onge to Sing Valkyria Anime's Theme Song| url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-02-18/canada-st-onge-to-sing-valkyria-anime-theme-song | accessdate=March 26, 2009 }} The single debuted at number 28 on the Oricon single charts.{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/817141/1/|title=Asu e no Kizuna|publisher=Oricon|accessdate=June 19, 2009 |language=Japanese }}

Her second single was titled "Hatenaki Michi", and was released on November 25, 2009.{{cite web | author= Sony Music Japan International| year=2009 | title=Official website| url=http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/himeka/info.html | accessdate=October 10, 2009 |language=Japanese}} It was the featured ending song for a new anime named Tegamibachi. The singled peaked at number 33 on the weekly Oricon chart.{{cite web | author= Sony Music Japan International| year=2009 | title=Official website| url=http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/himeka/info.html | accessdate=September 8, 2009 |language=Japanese }}{{cite web|url=http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/tegamibachi/|title=Tegamibachi official website|publisher=浅田弘幸／集英社・テガミバチ製作委員会・テレビ東京|date=September 8, 2009|accessdate=September 8, 2009|language=Japanese|archive-date=March 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322124948/http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/tegamibachi/|url-status=dead}}

File:HIMEKA, Yukihiro Notsu and Suomen Nuoriso-Orkesteri at Finncon-Animecon 2011.JPG/Animecon 2011 in Finland]]

Himeka's first cover album, Anison: Utattemita, was released on March 3, 2010.{{cite web | author= Sony Music Japan International| year=2010 | title=Official website| url=http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/himeka/info.html | accessdate=January 3, 2010 |language=Japanese}}

Her third single, "Mirai e...", was released on May 26, 2010. It was featured as the ending theme in the anime Senkō no Night Raid.{{cite web | author=Himeka | year=2010 | title=Official blog | url=http://6109.jp/himeka/?year=20100308 | accessdate=March 11, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727124053/http://6109.jp/himeka/?year=20100308 | archive-date=July 27, 2011 | url-status=dead }}

Himeka's first digital single, "La la la, Sekai o Hitotsuni", was released in July 2010. The song was an official support song for the World Cosplay Summit 2010 in Nagoya, Japan.{{cite web | author= Himeka| year=2010 | title=Official blog of Himeka| url=http://www.himeka.info/ | accessdate=July 1, 2010 }}

Himeka's first original album titled "Himekanvas" has been released on November 31, 2011, and includes all her released singles, seven original songs and two cover songs.{{cite web | author= Sony Music Japan International| year=2011 | title=Official website of Himeka| url=http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/himeka/info.html | accessdate=October 22, 2011 }} On February 12, 2012, Himeka gave her first solo live concert in the Shibuya Boxx hall.{{cite web | author= Sony Music Japan International| year=2012 | title=Official website of Himeka| url=http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/himeka/info.html | accessdate=February 19, 2012 }} The concert sold out.{{cite web | author= Sony Music Japan International| year=2012 | title=Official website of Himeka| url=http://www.himeka.info/?blog=251117 | accessdate=February 19, 2012 }}

On July 1, 2012, Himeka confirmed that, in April 2012, she had moved to a new label named Mages./amuleto.{{cite web | author= Sony Music Japan International| year=2012 | title=Official website of Himeka| url=http://blog.livedoor.jp/himeka_officialblog/| accessdate=July 1, 2012 }} Later, it was confirmed that she would release a new single named "Where I Belong" scheduled to be released on October 24, 2012.{{cite web | author= Cdjapan| year=2012 | title=Cdjapan Whre I Belong| website=CDJapan | url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=FVCG-1213| accessdate=August 16, 2012 }} The song would be the ending theme for a series named Audrey no Kami Appli Shin Seiki Up Date.

It was announced not long after, that she was releasing a song under the name "AG7" with 7 other Animax Anison Grand Prix winners. The song is named Endless Nova and is going to be released on July 23, 2014. It will be included on a single released by the latest Anison Grand Prix winner named Tatsuyuki Kobayashi.{{cite web | author= Avex Trax| year=2014 | title=Avex Trax – Tatsuyuki Kobayashi official website| url=http://avex.jp/kobatatsu/ag7.php | accessdate=June 29, 2014 }}

On April 1, 2014, it was announced that she was no longer signed to a label.{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/HlMEKA/status/450960774819622914 |title=Twitter / HlMEKA: 【大事なお知らせ】2014年4月1日、本日よりフリーになりま |access-date=May 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411042033/https://twitter.com/HlMEKA/status/450960774819622914 |archive-date=April 11, 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{Primary source inline|date=April 2020}} On her Twitter, she did express that she will continue to pursue a career in music.{{cite web | author= Japanator| year=2014 | title=Japanator – Himeka no longer signed with label| url=http://www.japanator.com/himeka-no-longer-signed-with-label-looking-for-a-new-home-32141.phtml | accessdate=June 29, 2014 }} After that, in April 2015, the doujin single "STAY DIAMOND / Because of you" was released as a duo "HIME×KANA" with Kanako Kodera.