For many years, I'd thought that THE BOOM had originated in Okinawa, but actually the four founding members are actually from the landlocked prefecture of Yamanashi on the main island of Honshu. But they were inspired by the music of Okinawa, and they created their band in 1986 to perform initially as buskers on hokoten...the pedestrian paradises....streets that were closed off from vehicular traffic during the weekends so that people could enjoy a nice stroll.
However, THE BOOM also explored Brazilian music in the middle of the 1990s, and my favourite song by them is "Kaze ni Naritai"(I Want to Become the Wind). It's just a glorious percussion-happy Japanese samba that leader and vocal Kazufumi Miyazawa（宮沢和史） had always wanted to write. Originally on the band's 6th album, "Kyokuto Samba"（極東サンバ...Far East Samba) (1994), it was released as a single in March 1995. It took four months, but the song finally broke into the Oricon rankings and peaked at No. 19.
The music video for "Kaze ni Naritai" was filmed on the Ginza.....the biggest hokoten in Tokyo which, weather permitting, is open on Sundays. It looks like the weather was permitted to be just as happy as the band.
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| Good ol' Ginza Yamano Music is just on the right across the street. |
One of my favorite bands. I just love their exotic approach to music. Their songs make me feel warm during these cold months of the year. Okay, it wasn't THAT cold this November, but still. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing about them.
De nada, nikala. Actually, one of my FB friends told me that she liked the band's "Chuo-sen" the other day so I decided to go with one of my own favourites by them.
ReplyDeleteNo, it hasn't been that painful of a November here in T.O. but we've got some sleet on the way next week. And then, who knows what December may wreak on us.
Man... the videoclip was awesome, and I can't anywhere at the internet... I can only see the original at karaoke machines u.u
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