Maki Ohguro -- Sora （空）

A bit unseasonal considering the timing but I think with some of the areas on our Earth (including my own patch) getting walloped with snow over the weekend, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of summer back for a visit.

I enjoyed listening to Maki Ohguro's （大黒摩季）sunny "Sora" (Sky) so that I got myself the single. It doesn't have the Latin beat that some of her uptempo songs have had, but it still has that happy drive to go with Ohguro's strong vocals. That banjo in the refrain is a nice and interesting touch, and overall "Sora" just benefits from being just plain cheerful.

Written and composed by Ohguro as her 17th single released in May 1997, it was also used as the opening theme for an anime titled "Chuuka Ichiban"（中華一番...China's Number One!）, about a boy who aspires to be the best chef in China. I've never seen the show but just from the song, I can bet that the kid was probably one of the most optimistic and unrelenting lads in history. "Sora" itself peaked at No. 4 on Oricon.

Some fine heartwarming congee!