Yoko Kanno (菅野よう子, Kanno Yōko, born March 18 in Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai) is a Japanese music composer, arranger and producer affiliated with GRAND FUNK INC. Her real name is pronounced the same as her pseudonym but spelled differently (菅野 洋子). She is occasionally credited as Gabriela Robin for her vocal performances.
Kanno has been interested in music since her childhood and first took pianos lessons at Yamaha Music School. She made her professional music debut in 1980 as keyboardist for the now defunct rock band, Tetsu 100%. Kanno was a college student at the time.
According to Kou Shibusawa, the president of Alfa Records —who was his fellow classmate from their schooling days— recommended her to him. Shibusawa heard one of her band performances live, liked the dramatic take in their songs and was interested in recruiting one of the members to make classical background music for KOEI's then music-less games. When he looked up the musical background for the members, Kanno had a background which fit so Shibusawa casually approached her with the offer for a freelance composer gig. Once he heard her submitted samples for Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Shibusawa gave her the credit and was especially interested in keeping her for the Nobunaga's Ambition series for as long as she was willing.
She has since composed dozens of tunes for commercials, movies, TV series, video games and anime. International anime fans probably know her best for her work in Sunrise or bones projects. A few of her compositions can be heard in DARKER THAN BLACK, WOLF'S RAIN and Brain Powered.
Works[]
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms (first and thirteenth titles only)
- Genghis Khan
- Nobunaga no Yabou series - Zengokuban ~ Tenshouki
- Ishin no Arashi
- Uncharted Waters
- Inindo: Way of the Ninja
- Uncharted Waters: New Horizons