This week's episode of Kayo Concert was pretty interesting, with the theme revolving around trains and all. We had the sibling duo Karyudo (狩人) - that's such a cool name - singing their debut single 'Azusa ni Go' (あずさ２号). It was the first time I heard most of the song, and now I know why it was such a big hit. And then there was this young Enka singer by the name of Hiroshi Miyama (三山ひろし) singing the late Enka veteran Michiya Mihashi's (三橋美智也) 'Aishu no Resha' (哀愁列車). His delivery of the angst-filled song was alright save for the fact that he kept smiling throughout!
Moving on, the performance that piqued my interest was by this other duo present, Tetsu and Tomo (テツ . トモ). I pretty much knew they weren't an Enka duo when they began to sway and dance in such a lighthearted manner as they sang their latest single that mentioned something Shinbashi train station (released on 15th October 2014). After a little research a while later, I learnt that these fellows are in fact a comedy duo who began their careers in 1998, comprising of Tetsuya Nakamoto and Tomoyuki Ishizawa (中本哲也 . 石澤智幸). Well, that explains their names, overall goofiness and enthusiasm. Hmm, so I guess they're something like Tunnels?
'Horoyoi Blues' had its lyrics done by Natsumi Watanabe (渡辺なつみ) and was composed by renowned composer Keisuke Hama (浜圭介). Listening to the music, I could just see the 2 of them doing that little jig of theirs in tuxedos and canes. Actually, it sounded more like an Enka/Mood Kayo song that someone like Hiroshi Itsuki (五木ひろし) would sing!
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| In Red most of the time: Tetsu In Blue most of the time: Tomo |
Hi, Noelle.
ReplyDeleteI was caught off-guard when I saw Tetsu and Tomo appear on the NHK stage with the rest of the enka veterans on Tuesday night....and without their red and blue outfits. Like a lot of comedians, the duo had their time in the sun for about a year several years back with their "Nande daro" act but faded somewhat. I was able to find one of their comedy routines here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pueb6_modhw.
Nice to see them back in action again.
Hi J-Canuck,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that video on one of the duo's routines - quite silly with Tetsu prancing around and all.
I've seen duos like Tunnels, Ninety nine (Okamura is hilarious) and Banana man, but had not heard or seen Tetsu and Tomo until Tuesday night. In fact, I thought they were some new act altogether!
Oh yeah, and I don't think the 2 of them would wear their signature red and blue tracksuits to the stage since it's a rather serious show... so proper suits would be in order. But I think they kind of kept the 'Tetsu is red, Tomo is blue' with Tomo wearing a blue shirt and Tetsu wearing a white one.
Oh boy, I am so happy to have found this blog. Hadd no idea that these guys had turned into Enka, I haven't seen Kayo Concert in ages. I remember their routine from "Nande darou" days.
ReplyDeleteHello there Anonymous person,
ReplyDeleteNice to hear that you seem to like this blog. I'm not sure if 'Horoyoi blues' is considered Enka, but it sure sounds a little like one in terms of its music and the lyrics.
As for Kayo Concert, I'm still relatively new to the Enka-based show. But for someone who enjoys Enka-Kayo songs, it's introducing me to Enka singers I've never heard off before... as well as Tetsu and Tomo I suppose.