MONDO GROSSO
Junpei Shiina was born in Urawa, Saitama on August 6, 1974. He first began learning the piano at five years of age, and in high school became a part of his school's brass band, learning how to play the drums. In 1998 he began songwriting, and in 1999 won the grand prize at the Sony Music SDN 'The Another Goal '99' auditions. Shiina released his first album, "Live", in December 1999 through the Sony Music Japan imprint Knockers Records, later debuting properly under Sony in November 2000 with the Shinichi Osawa-produced single "Sekai". His second single "Mujō" was used as an insert song for the Miho Kanno-starring drama "Nisenichi-nen no Otoko Un".