Shizuko Kasagi


Shizuko Kasagi was a popular Japanese jazz singer and actress. At the peak of her fame in the immediate post-war era, she was known as the "Queen of the Boogie-Woogie".

Early life and career

Shizuko Kasagi was born Shizuko Kamei on 25 August 1914 in Ōkawa District, Kagawa, Japan. She originally took Shizuko Mikasa as her stage name, but eventually changed the spelling of her name to.
Before World War II, Shizuko was one of the stars of the Japan Girls Opera Company. During the Occupation of Japan, she became a mega star singing songs influenced by American jazz and boogie woogie. She appeared in the 1948 film Drunken Angel directed by Akira Kurosawa. In 1955, Shizuko retired from singing and concentrated on her acting career.

Death

Kasagi died from ovarian cancer on 30 March 1985, aged 70.

Films