Naomi Chiaki -- Kassai （喝采）

This is a wistfully proud elegy. "Kassai"(Ovation) is sung by smoky-voiced Naomi Chiaki (ちあきなおみ）. The lyrics by Ou Yoshida（吉田旺）and melody by Taiji Nakamura（中村泰士）tell of a tribute to a dearly departed loved one but Chiaki imbues the song with pride and gratitude at having met this man.

This is Chiaki's most representative song in her long career which began in 1969. She was comfortable in both enka and pop, although "Kassai" would be considered a kayo kyoku pop song. It was a hit right from its release, having started from No. 7 on the charts and then reaching its peak of No. 2 the following week. It also earned a Japan Record Award along with sales of 3 million records.

Chiaki also became a TV personality and appeared in commercials. In 1992, though, with the death of her actor husband, she completely retired from show business.