Salena Jones

Salena Jones(1944- )

A Canadian came, then someone sang "Canadian Sunset" for hospitality. But there was no reaction. It's natural for American song writers wrote this song without permission to Canadian.

She recorded 100 standards in the middle of 1990's. Songs collected in these CDs are great and arrangement of music is exceptional. Especially, their chords are so complicated. She sings in light touch, and she looks like changed from her images in early days. She says herself,

"Now I can sing confidently my songs."

I agree with her.

Salena has sung in various styles over many genres. She told me "I am sure that I would not still be going if I only sang just one style over my career." She is a close friend of a great Jazz singer Dolly Baker who has been living in Tokyo over thirty years. Salena left America in the 1960's when racial discrimination and unrest was very bad. Of course having got used to Britain over a long time now, Salena enjoys the way of life in England and Europe, and probably will not return to live in America.

These new CDs were recorded in London and released in Japan. Price of each CD is about Yen 3,000 in Japan, but her CDs are imported into the United States and sold at $43. This is unusual for CDs in the United States are usually cheaper than Japanese CDs.

Recently I received an e-mail from Salena. I was so much surprised for she found my web-site in London although it's written in Japanese. Following is the first mail from Salena.

Hi,

This is Salena Jones and I've just been delighted to come across your site and so pleased that you like my record "Canadian Sunset".

You might like to see my own web-site on
http://www.salenajones.co.uk

When I next come to Japan I'll let you know.

Take care.

Salena Jones

After then we became e-mail friends. She will come back to Japan in next October again.

What a wonderful communication tool the Internet is!

I am very grateful to Kuni Wakayama for giving me the opportunity to record this personal message on his wonderful web-site and I am greatly complimented that he has featured Salena Jones on his site, in company with so many great artists.

I have had a love affair now for over twenty years with Japan because it was in 1978 when I very first came there. Over that time I must have visited Japan nearly fifty times, and I have been all over the country - so you might just imagine a little of how much Japan means to me.

I have had very many, countless, examples of kindness and generosity at my concerts and shows where so many people, and of all ages, have come to see me and some have cried with my songs and singing.

They have come backstage to see me at concert halls and jazz clubs, and I have so many presents and gifts- which I keep and cherish. I have also had probably thousands of photographs taken with people and have autographed peoples` shirts and arms with felt pens!

I love Japanese people because they are so warm, friendly, good fun and they have such humility and dignity.

You know I nearly came to live in Kobe. But I decided that if I lived there Japanese people would no longer think it was special for me to appear, compared with if I visited once or twice a year.

I have been a professional singer all my adult life, for now over thirty-five years, and it has not always been easy because of the changing fashion and tastes in music over that time. I have tried to record different kinds of material and music genres, because I like many kinds of music too, and I am very glad that, generally, the Japanese public seems to have liked what I have done.

I have been a recording artiste with JVC Victor Entertainment since 1979 and am very proud that I am contracted to them into the next century.

I hope that in this short message I have been able to convey a little of my true affections and my gratitude to Japanese people.

I hope that I will come back many times to perform again in Japan and that people will always feel free to come and see me to say "hello".

Incidentally, I have my own web-site on
<http://www.salenajones.co.uk>http://www.salenajones.co.uk
and anyone can e-mail a message to me at any time because I will be delighted to hear from my friends and fans in Japan.

With love Salena