Saori Minami

Minami was born in Okinawa on July 2, 1954. Her Christian name is Cynthia.

Minami debuted with the single "17-sai" ("17 Years Old") in the summer of 1971. The song reached the No. 2 position on the Oricon chart list. It was the 11th best selling single of 1971 in Japan and catapulted her into stardom.長田美穂「スターに愛されたガサコの編集者人生」『新潮45』2008年2月号、新潮社。{{cite book | last = Kase| first = Kimio| title = Transformational CEOs: Leadership and Management Success in Japan| publisher =Edward Elgar| year =2005| page = 163| isbn = 1-84542-046-2}} The song came about after composer Kyōhei Tsutsumi asked Minami what her favourite song was, Minami replied with "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson and so Tsutsumi based "17-sai" on that song.デビュー30周年記念メモリアル特別企画CD-BOX『 CYNTHIA ANTHOLOGY 』（2000.6.7、ソニーレコード）封入解説書参照。

Together with fellow Japanese female entertainers Rumiko Koyanagi and Mari Amachi, Minami laid the foundations of the modern Japanese idol.^ ベスト・アルバム 『 GOLDEN J-POP/THE BEST 南沙織 』（1998.11.21、ソニーレコード） ライナーノーツより。 Minami, Koyanagi and Amachi were dubbed {{nihongo|"The Three Girls"|三人娘|San nin musume}}.{{cite book | last =Craig | first =Timothy J. | title =Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture | publisher =M.E. Sharpe | year =2000 | page =[https://archive.org/details/japanpopinsidew00crai/page/317 317] | isbn =0-7656-0561-9 | url =https://archive.org/details/japanpopinsidew00crai/page/317 }}{{cite book | last =Aoyagi| first =Hiroshi| title =Island Of Eight Million Smiles | page =6 & 130}} Before them, Hibari Misora, Chiemi Eri, and Izumi Yukimura were promoted in the same fashion.{{cite web|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081203f2.html|title=Hara, 82, to hang up saxophone|publisher=The Japan Times|date=2008-12-03|access-date=2009-02-11}} In 1973, Amachi, Koyanagi, and Minami were followed by Momoe Yamaguchi, Junko Sakurada and Masako Mori, who were known as {{ill|"The Trio of Third-Year Middle School Blossoms"|ja|花の中三トリオ}}.

Following the success of "17-sai", Minami was nominated for Best Newcomer of the Year at the 13th Japan Record Awards, but lost the title to Rumiko Koyanagi.{{cite web|url=https://www.kouenirai.com/profile/6576|title=Rumiko Koyanagi profile at Kouenirai|language=ja|access-date=19 April 2016}} She was invited to perform "17-sai" on the 22nd edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen and eventually made 8 appearances on the show.{{cite web|url=http://www.nhk.or.jp/kouhaku/history/history_22.html|title=Official NHK site detailing the Kohaku Uta Gassen|language=ja|access-date=19 April 2016}}

The two singles that followed "17-sai", "Shiokaze no Melody" (Melody of the Seabreeze) and "Tomodachi" (Friends), both reached the Oricon top 10.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ng8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Saori+Minami+Shiokaze&pg=PA56|title=Billboard Magazine, December 1971|date=18 December 1971|access-date=19 April 2016}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BkUEAAAAMBAJ&q=Saori+Minami+Tomodachi&pg=PT84|title=Billboard Magazine, April 1972|date=8 April 1972|access-date=19 April 2016}} In the summer of 1972, "Junketsu" (Chastity) reached the #3 position on the Oricon charts and became one of her most successful singles.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REUEAAAAMBAJ&q=Saori+Minami+Junketsu&pg=PA51|title=Billboard Magazine, July 1972|date=8 July 1972|access-date=19 April 2016}} Its follow up, "Aishu no Page" (A Page Full of Sorrow), reached the same position and featured an intro spoken in English.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQ8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Saori+Minami+Page&pg=PA86|title=Billboard Magazine, November 1972|date=18 November 1972|access-date=19 April 2016}} In the spring of 1973 "Kizutsuku Sedai" (Wounded Generation) was released, a single with Rock 'N' Roll influences which cracked the top 5.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MAkEAAAAMBAJ&q=Saori+Minami+Sedai&pg=PA45|title=Billboard Magazine, July 1973|date=7 July 1973|access-date=19 April 2016}} In the summer of that same year "Irozuku Machi" (Painted City) became one of her biggest successes and, according to Minami herself, "[was] one of my most representative songs".^ 歌手デビュー35周年記念商品CD-BOX『 Cynthia Premium 』（2000.6.14、ソニーレコード）封入のDVDパッケージより。 She continued to release popular singles throughout the 1970s (most notably "Hito Kakera No Junjou" (A Little Naive) and "Hito Koishi Kute" (A Wonderful Person).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1ycEAAAAMBAJ&q=Saori+Minami+Kakera&pg=PA43|title=Billboard Magazine, February 1974|date=9 February 1974|access-date=19 April 2016}}

Minami retired from show business in 1978. She reappeared for a few mini-CD singles and live performances from 1991{{ndash}}1997, before returning to retirement.

Minami is married to photographer Kishin Shinoyama, and has a son, Akinobu Shinoyama. She took English classes at Sophia University, and in her performing years, she sang many folk/pop songs in English, and at one point travelled to Los Angeles, California to record her album Cynthia Street. At the time, Minami had strict coaching to improve her diction in English, which she was speaking at an intermediate level. In addition to English, Minami also learned to speak Spanish at an intermediate level.

Minami is a Roman Catholic, and at times during her singing career was also billed by her baptismal name Cynthia.

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|2||align="left"|{{nihongo|Junketsu/Tomodachi |純潔／ともだち|}}||align="right"|1972-06-21 (#2)

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|3||align="left"|{{nihongo|Aishuu No PAGE|哀愁のページ|}}||align="right"|1972-09-21 (#4)

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|4||align="left"|{{nihongo|Kizutsuku Sedai|傷つく世代|}}||align="right"|1973-05-21 (#9)

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|5||align="left"|{{nihongo|Hatachi Mae|20才まえ|}}||align="right"|1973-09-21 (#5)

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|6||align="left"|{{nihongo|Hito Kakera no Junjou|ひとかけらの純情|}}||align="right"|1974-02-21 (#6)

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|7||align="left"|{{nihongo|Natsu No Kanjou|夏の感情|}}
||align="right"|1974-07-21 (#7)

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|8||align="left"|{{nihongo|Nin Koishi Kute|人恋しくて|}}||align="right"|1975-12-05 (#19)

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|9||align="left"|{{nihongo|Sugao No Mama De|素顔のままで|}}
||align="right"|1976-04-21 (#20)

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|10||align="left"|{{nihongo|Kanashii Yousei|哀しい妖精|}}||align="right"|1976-09-21 (#19)

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|11||align="left"|{{nihongo|HELLO! CYNTHIA|-|}}||align="right"|1977-08-21 (#29)

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|12||align="left"|{{nihongo|SIMPLICITY|-|}}||align="right"|1978-10-01 (#37)

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|2||align="left"|{{nihongo|SAORI ON STAGE|潮風のメロディ|}}||align="right"|1977-12-05 (#74)

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|3||align="left"|{{nihongo|Sayonara CYNTHIA |さよならシンシア |}}
Goodbye concert||align="right"|1978-12-05 (#-)

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|2||align="left"|{{nihongo|Minami Saori No Subete|南沙織のすべて|}}||align="right"|1983-11-05 (#-)

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|3||align="left"|{{nihongo|Minami Saori BEST SELECTION |ベスト・コレクション 南沙織|}}||align="right"|1986-05-21 (#-)

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|4||align="left"|{{nihongo|Minami Saori BEST RECALL ~28 SINGLES SAORI +1~|-|}}||align="right"|1992-02-21 (#-)

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|5||align="left"|{{nihongo|Cynthia BEST ~ ETERNITY|-|}}
||align="right"|1996-06-21 (#-)

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|6||align="left"|{{nihongo|DREAM PRICE 1000 Minami Saori Iro Zuku Machi|DREAM PRICE 1000 南沙織 色づく街|}}||align="right"|2001-10-11 (#-)

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|7||align="left"|{{nihongo|GOLDEN BEST Minami Saori Tsutsumi Kyouhei wo Utau|GOLDEN☆BEST 南沙織 筒美京平を歌う|}}
||align="right"|2002-06-19 (#-)

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|8||align="left"|{{nihongo|Minami Saori THE BEST ~Cynthia-ly|南沙織 THE BEST 〜 Cynthia-ly|}}||align="right"|2003-11-19 (#-)

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|9||align="left"|{{nihongo|Minami Saori BEST OF BEST|南沙織 BEST OF BEST|}}||align="right"|2006-09-21 (#-)

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{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Arch/SR/SaoriMinami/}} (Sony Music Entertainment Japan)
• [http://www.CynthiaStreet.com/ Minami Saori's Fan Site]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minami, Saori}}

Category:Japanese women pop singers

Category:Japanese idols

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Singers from Okinawa Prefecture

Category:Ryukyuan people

Category:20th-century Japanese women singers

Category:20th-century Japanese singers

Category:American School in Japan alumni

Category:Sophia University alumni