In 2021, SAEKO, an international power metal act formed by Japanese singer Saeko Kitamae and giants of the metal scene, released its third album, “Holy Are We Alone,” after 15 years of silence.
Check out the music videos from the album to experience its quality:
● Who We Are
Vocals & Keyboards: Saeko Kitamae* (from Japan)
Guitars & Keyboards: Guido Benedetti (from Italy, git. of “Trick Or Treat”)
Drummer: Michael Ehre (from Germany, dr. of “The Unity”, “Gamma Ray” etc.)
Bassist: Alessandro Sala (from Italy, ba. of “Rhapsody Of Fire”)
*Saeko Kitamae is a dedicated Japanese singer who toured Europe with the metal queen, Doro, in 2004 and was the first female Asian musician to perform at Wacken Open Air in 2005. (Her story is one of perseverance, and you can learn more details on http://kck.st/306VMve .)
● Success of the Previous Campaign & COVID Challenges
In 2019, Saeko Kitamae relocated from Japan to Germany for the second time and secured an artist visa in December, along with a music business plan. We launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring SAEKO back after a long break, raising over ¥2,000,000 (about €15,400)̶
121% of our goal, thanks to media coverage and listener support. Saeko was now ready to make her plans a reality.
However, shortly after, COVID-19 struck.
While the album “Holy Are We Alone” was released, the pandemic halted live shows and impacted our plans and, above all, Saeko’s visa extension in EU, forcing her return to Japan. Facing many challenges, she took a hiatus in 2022 (you can read the hiatus statement from https://saeko.shinpuh.com/eng/statement/ ). Still, her passion for music remains strong.
Although the band members are divided between Japan and Europe, she has come to determine to revive it despite a number of setbacks.
● New Crowdfunding Campaign
http://kck.st/3PXwcDz
It’s been over three years since SAEKO’s last album, so our immediate goal is to create a new mini-album and a music video, featuring self-covers of some songs from SAEKO’s first album, “Above Heaven Below Heaven”, which was released 21 years ago. She hopes this will also create opportunities to finally perform live.
Please check the campaign and become a part of this epic journey through music and emotion.
