Kyoko Endo -- Douka, Kokoro Tojinai de（どうか、心閉じないで）

 

Looking off into the sunset sky toward West Shinjuku, I remember that pedestrian overpass very well since it linked JR Shinjuku Station with the urban development in progress at the time across the street. Now, there is a very large bus terminal next to Takashimaya Times Square.

Through my music bible of "Japanese City Pop" where I first learned about singer-songwriter Kyoko Endo（遠藤京子）, my take was that her albums were mostly from the 1980s. However, that isn't true since she was releasing them as late as the early 2010s. Happily, I was able to find proof positive of that fact through this track from her March 1993 album "Koibito ni Naritai"（恋人になりたい...I Want to be Your Lover）.

"Douka, Kokoro Tojinai de" (Please Don't Close Off Your Heart) is a City Pop number of those times with those smart horns, classy piano and soulful harmonies. Written and composed by Endo, the overall tune is very much in the sophisti-pop branch of Japanese urban contemporary and just listening to it can make one feel like putting on the tux or the evening gown and hitting the streets to paint the town red. Most of all, Endo's distinct voice is still there, no matter the genre whether it be City Pop, quirky pop or jazz.