Rachelle Cano

Rachelle Cano is a native Californian who has lived in Los Angeles, New York City, Italy, and Switzerland. She has two degrees from Columbia University in the City of New York, majoring in International Relations and Sociology, with special studies in Human Rights. She comes from an entertainment background having worked many years as a professional singer-songwriter and recording artist, recording her original songs that range from Pop Rock to Country Rock. She is best known for her work in a variety of national and international television cartoon and anime series, including: The Littles, La Abeja Maya (Maya the Bee) in Latin America, and The Little Mermaid for television. She has sung on other TV shows performing in multiple languages including, Spanish, Italian, and French.

Rachelle has one son, Sebastian Cano-Besquet, a Yale graduate and USC graduate from the USC Thornton Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (SMPTV) program. Sebastian is working as a film and TV composer in Los Angeles. 

Rachelle feels a great affinity with Japanese people, arts and culture and enjoys writing articles for Discover Nikkei. Whether through the power of music, or her candid reviews of other musical artists, she aspires to help create a better, and more colorful way of life.  

Rachelle can be contacted at: s.rachellecano@gmail.com 

Updated July 2015

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Music, Magic, and Masa: From Anime to J-Pop in the Blink of an Eye - Part 2

  • By Rachelle Cano
  • 3 Jul 2015

Read Part 1 >>

Do you listen to American music, and who are some of your favorite composers, and groups?

Yes! Of course, I love American music. There are too many to recite here, but let’s say I listen to American pop artists like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Bruno Mars who all inspire me to write high energy and melodic pop songs that I think the Japanese audience enjoys as well.

For composing soundtracks for TV, I was very influenced by the music of the "Dragon Quest" TV game.

Do you have any aspirations to write music ...

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Music, Magic, and Masa: From Anime to J-Pop in the Blink of an Eye - Part 1

  • By Rachelle Cano
  • 2 Jul 2015

With the producer’s special approval, I was allowed into the private recording session for a new pop song written by Masanori Takumi, a well-known songwriter, and music composer for Japanese Anime and Manga series including Koi Kaze, Genshiken, and Claymore. He is now creating music in both Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Since his success in composing for television shows and film, Masanori has also seamlessly crossed over into the J-Pop genre writing songs and having several hits with musical artists in Japan such as Exile, AAA, and KARA, the all girl vocal group who made it to the #1 ...

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Japan’s Megumi Sasano Composing Music--Made in America

  • By Rachelle Cano
  • 22 May 2012

Ms. Megumi Sasano, native of Izumisano, near Osaka, Japan, and now a newfound treasure to the entertainment industry of Los Angeles, has received her first anime credit for the iconic manga series Zetman. The first episode of the season aired in April 2012. Megumi shares screen credit with one other composer, Gabriele Roberto, with whom the labor of scoring has been divided. In addition to Zetman, she has been working with Ilsley music on some major features, one of which is an Ethan Hawke film to be released in October.

Her expedient lunge into the realm of Anime comes as ...

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Jazz Twist on Traditional Japanese Music Creates a New Musical Genre

  • By Rachelle Cano
  • 27 Oct 2011

The children of Japanese-Americans who emigrated to the United States generations ago commonly acquire knowledge of their cultural heritage through second-hand sources. Unfortunately, as time passes special meanings can be diluted, forgotten, or even lost.

For those who attended the concert held in the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum on August 13, 2011, savoring the flavor and sounds of Japanese culture became a first-hand experience through the authentic performance by Yoko Fujimoto of Japan. Singing since childhood, Fujimoto cannot remember a time when she did not sing. She took to the stage and lit up the ...

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