Aki Yashiro -- Funauta （舟唄）

One of veteran enka chanteuse Aki Yashiro's（八代亜紀） most well-known songs in her 42-year career, "Funauta"(Sailor's Song), this was yet another tune that I came across on that legendary compilation audiotape I'd brought back from Japan in 1981 for my parents. And more recently, I saw the lady perform it on an episode of an NHK documentary series which features singers who visit affected areas from the 2011 quake to encourage the citizens there. When Yashiro sang her trademark tune for the assembled audience, there weren't a lot of dry eyes there.

For a song of its title, people may first imagine seamen burbling a shanty on the decks of a cruiser, but "Funauta" is nothing of the sort. Yashiro sings from the man's point of view here as the lyrics describe the ideal surroundings for the man to cry into his sake after the death of a romance. Grilled squid, a silent hostess, low lighting, a window view overlooking a port, and the occasional blow of a foghorn....that's what he wants at his watering hole. The evocative lyrics make this sound like a classic Mood Kayo but the melody is much more in the enka vein. Enka can be very jaunty and celebratory, but it has that melancholy side as well, and this song is probably one of the best examples.

I had been hoping that I would be able to find a video from YouTube that would show her performing on the legendary program "Enka no Hanamichi"（演歌の花道）, and sure enough here's one (Ahh...not anymore since it got taken down but enjoy this one instead). The show was always great in translating a certain atmosphere onto the soundstage. Listening to Yashiro crooning "Funauta" over the years, I've gotten used to her very husky delivery, so it was nice hearing the original recording back in 1979, when her voice was still a bit higher.

"Funauta"is Yashiro's 28th single which was released in May 1979. When she first heard the first line of the song itself before tackling it, she reportedly declared "This will be a hit for sure!" Any particular talent for precognition on her part, though, is probably blunted by the fact that the lyricist was the legendary hitmaker Yu Aku（阿久悠）. The composer was the successful Keisuke Hama（浜圭介） who had created songs for performers such as The Cool Five, Chiyo Okumura and Takashi Hosokawa. The song peaked at No. 15 on Oricon and won the Gold Prize at the Japan Record Awards. By the end of the year, it was the 98th-ranked song, but a year later, it rose up to No. 55. It also provided the invitation for Yashiro to perform on the Kohaku Utagassen for the 7th time.

Thanks to j-lyric.net

Enkobo, a nice izakaya
in the Nakano area.
The first place I've come across that had bamboo gratin!