Yutaka Kimura Speaks: Minako Yoshida（吉田美奈子）

 

Since 1973, when she released "Fuyu no Tobira"（冬の扉...Winter's Door） at the age of 20, the musical garb she has worn at different times may change, but Minako Yoshida's music has fundamentally remained the same. To give an example, back in the early 1980s, although she was wearing some very flashy outfits in the form of funk, it's the spirit she expressed through her songs that has remained constant no matter what outfit she changed into.

There are plenty of passionate Minako fans surrounding me. Every time they go to one of her concerts, they frequently go into dance mode. I've often heard that she gets a lot of repeat attendees. At the concert sites, naturally, her vocal expression is more clearly revealed, and I'm sure her devoted fans have enjoyed the pleasure of being able to directly touch the spirit of her songs.

Her overwhelming vocal power and volume are reminiscent of Aretha Franklin, and in fact, Yoshida is a huge fan of hers, but she also loves Parliament-Funkadelic. Her work from the 1980s, which earned her the nickname "The Queen of Funk," can be said to be the embodiment of these tastes under the most favorable circumstances.

Yoshida is a musician's musician who also has lots of fans among her contemporaries starting with Toshiki Kadomatsu（角松敏生）. Her distinctive presence that continues to shine in the city pop scene is one of a kind. As one of the pioneers for female R&B singers today, I highly recommend you listen to her many masterpieces, and although it is not listed in this book, her premium album "Bells" which was only sold in 1986 is something that I highly endorse thanks to her high level of gospel expression. As well, in recent years, she also released a collaborative album, "Nowadays" (2008), with Japan's top guitarist, Kazumi Watanabe（渡辺香津美）, where you can listen to her splendid vocals.

The above comes from "Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised" (2020).