UA (Swahili for both "flower" and "kill") is the stage name of Japanese singer
and actress Kaori Shima, who rose to fame in the early '90s through an
infectious cocktail of pop, R&B, jazz, and electronica. Born on March 11, 1972,
in Suita, Osaka, she relocated to Kyoto to attend the Saga University of Arts.
After graduating, she went back to her hometown and worked as a lounge singer
before being discovered by Hiroshi Fujiwara, who produced her 1995 debut single
"Horizon." Preceded by her breakthrough single "Jōnetsu," her first album 11
appeared in 1996 and reached Number 3 on t...