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Diana Garnet to Be Guest at Otakon 2019

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Diana Garnet

Diana Garnet, a rising star in the J-Pop and anime music scenes, has lent her dynamic, powerful vocals to many anime and game titles. The D.C. native Garnet has been added to the ranks of Otakon 2019 guests.

A highly accomplished vocalist, Garnet got her start winning “Best Foreign Singer of J-pop” in the televised singing contest “Nodojiman The World: Spring 2013.” She recently took home the title of Best Female Singer from another televised singing competition, “The Karaoke Battle.” Her striking tone, expansive range, and formidable arsenal of techniques along with her unique perspective as one of the few foreign entertainers in the industry, come together to create a force to be reckoned with in Japan’s music scene.

In addition to music, Garnet is also one of the few bilingual voice actors currently active in the industry, bringing life to many characters in both English and Japanese. She also hosts several educational radio programs and lends her voice to many characters in NHK’s institutional English educational radio show, “Kiso Eigo 1.”

In recent years, Garnet has made many appearances on TV, from educational programs and variety comedy to monomane (impressions) and showcases on subculture. In March 2017, Diana made news when she began hosting her first regular TV show, NHK’s educational program “Igo Focus,” a show about the 4,000-year-old game of Go. In Spring 2018, she appeared on-stage for the first time in “Sarachi 14,” a long-running skit-based production from Omori Company, calling upon her skills not only as an actress and singer, but also as a martial artist. Having caught the acting bug, she’s since begun pursuing more acting roles, appearing in various commercials and the TV drama “Shiba Kouen” with more to come soon! She’s also featured in a variety of shows highlighting sub-cultures in Japan; Formerly as host of “Otaqueeen” English and currently as a regular contributor and host of cosplay and otaku-culture show “PandrettaD.”

A frequent guest at anime conventions all over the USA, Garnet has also travelled to China, the Philippines, Myanmar, and England to spread her love of J-pop, anime, and music. Always excited to share her experiences with others and give back to the community that gave her so much growing up, Garnet takes any opportunity she can to engage with the audience: going above and beyond the call of duty, hosting Q&A sessions, panels, and helping other guests whenever needed.

Otakon 2019 will be held July 26-28, 2019 at the Walter Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Diana Garnet to Perform at Otakon Matsuri

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Diana-GarnetDiana Garnet, one of the few prominent foreign artists signed to a major Japanese record label, will perform at the 2016 Otakon Matsuri, Otakorp Inc. has announced.

Born in Washington D.C., U.S.A., Garnet  was heavily influenced by her anime-loving father, and was immersed into anime culture at a young age. Hearing “Yuzurenai Negai” by Naomi Tamura inspired her lifetime goal to become a singer in Japan.

On her third trip to Japan, she began to work as a middle-school English teacher, when a life-changing opportunity arose. In 2013, she took part in a nationwide karaoke TV show for foreigners, called “Nodojiman! THE WORLD 2013 Spring” on NTV and was crowned the winner, also securing a major label debut at the same time.

After releasing cover works for her first single and mini-album, Garnet’s first original single, “Spinning World,” was chosen as the ending theme song for the mega-hit anime, “Naruto: Shippuden,” making her the first female solo foreign artist to sing an anime theme song.

Since then, she has also featured in FLOW’s best album as a guest vocalist, and was also tapped as one of the “likely breakout stars of 2015” in Yahoo! Japan’s Video Topic Awards.

Her second original single,  “Nankai! Mystery,” was chosen as the theme song for the NHK E-TV anime “Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note,” which will air from October 2015 to March 2016, further elevating her status among anime and mass audiences alike.

The Otakon Matsuri is an outdoor street festival that will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, August 11 at Baltimore’s beautiful West Shore Park at the Inner Harbor. Admission is free to both the Otakorp membership as well as to the general public. The event features many attractions to keep attendees well-occupied: games, contests, prizes, live entertainment, great food, and even Otakon guests, who have been known to stop by and take part in the festivities.

Otakon 2016 will be held August 12-14 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD.