“That word made my present situation.” Hamada Masatoshi led Naoto Inti Raymi to his succeed!?

(Image: Naoto Inti Raymi Official Website)

Naoto Inti Raymi (31) succeeded in his one-man live in Nippon Budokan last December. He stood where artists long to be, Budokan, in eight months after his major debut and it became a topic as “the fastest in history”. He, Naoto, told that he had consulted comedian Hamada Masatoshi before his debut as a singer.

In fact, Naoto Inti Raymi had debuted as “Naoto” when he was at a university; “Growing up!!” released from Sony Records in 2001 can be regarded as his debut single.

However, there was a time when he felt anxiety and doubted whether he can succeed as a musician. It was Hamada Masatoshi to whom Naoto confided his worries.

In the TV program “HEY! HEY! HEY!” on May 16, the scene from the TV program “Ninkimono-de Iko!” on which Naoto (21 years old at that time) appeared was shown.

It was the program for 2000 November, in which Hamada Masatoshi and a consulter go on a big wheel and discuss about the consulter’s worries just the two of them in 15 minutes while the wheel makes a round.

Naoto said with a few words, “I want to become a musician…” and then he sang eagerly, playing a guitar. After the first song with a fine beat, at once he started the next song; he didn’t consult, but kept singing.

Then the wheel made a round and 15 minute had passed. After singing the last song, at last Naoto asked, “What do you think?”

Hamada Masatoshi replied with only a word, “Fine, wasn’t it?” with a distant look like seeing somewhere.

Naoto Inti Raymi saw this video in the studio and told, “That word made me keep singing now.”

Actually, Naoto had met the person who led him to choose his life before this meeting with Hamada Masatoshi.

That person is Naoto’s homeroom teacher in his first-year at high school. This is the episode told by Naoto Inti Raymi when he appeared on the radio program “Nichii Everyday Thanks” on May 11.

In a consultation with his teacher, he told, “I want to become a musician. But it’s too difficult, isn’t it?” He, who was just a first-year student in high school, seems to have thought musician as a vague dream.

Then the teacher seriously replied, “However high the wall looks like, you may find it an automatic door!”

Most of teachers and parents tell “it’s not so easy world as you think” to children aiming at the entertainment business and few people said “have a try.” The teacher’s word enabled Naoto to decide not to give up his dream to become a musician.

Last year, Naoto Inti Raymi invited the teacher for his live in Budokan. He happily said, “My teacher didn’t believe until seeing the live.”

Editorial Staff: Narumi Sato




Original article (Japanese): Techinsight

Naoto Inti Raymi Official Website

Fuji Television “HEY! HEY! HEY!”

Tokyo FM “Nichii Everyday Thanks”