Taku Hirano Update

On the heels of finishing up a successful two-year stint with Bette Midler, Taku Hirano will be making a move to work with female Japanese pop superstar, Utada Hikaru.

At the age of 26, Utada is one of the biggest pop stars in the world (with sales exceeding 52 million) and the top-selling artist in Japan. Her stellar career began with her debut at the age of 15 with the release of the highest-selling album in Japanese history. Three of her albums are in the Top 10 best-selling albums ever in Japan (#1, #4, #8), and she has had 12 number-one singles.

Taku has been working with Utada since 2001 (Mtv Unplugged) and has recorded on her concert DVD's "Utada Unplugged" (2001), "5 Nights at the Budokan" (2004), and "Utada United" Tour (2006). This new foray, a U.S./U.K. promotional tour, is in support of her second English album, "This Is The One" for Island/Def Jam.

In addition to this, upcoming shows for Taku include a private show with artist/producer Dave Stewart (The Eurythmics) and a performance at the White House with 2-time Academy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman. The White House performance will be for the Obama administration's first State Dinner, hosting Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India.