Jazz and blues musician Maki Asakawa died on January 17, it has been learned. She was found dead in her room at a Nagoya hotel where she was staying, due to acute heart failure. She was 67.

First discovered by writer and dramatist Shuji Terayama, Asakawa gained attention in 1968 for her performance in a one-woman play directed by Terayama. In 1970, she made her debut as a singer with the album "Asakawa Maki no Sekai." One of her best known songs was "Kamome," which was included on that first album.

Asakawa had more than 30 releases by the late '90s. Although she recorded very little after that, she continued performing live at various venues. She was scheduled to perform in Nagoya on January 15-17, but she passed away before her show on the 17th.