On the final "Kayo Concert"（歌謡コンサート）of the year last week which had the appropriate theme of the bonenkai (year-end party), singer/actor Ken Matsudaira（松平健）showed up to perform the appropriate song "MatsuKen Samba"（マツケンサンバ）with all of the heart-pumping excitement.
However, he also showed up later on in the program looking relatively less glittery (although he would still be a standout in any regular year-ender) to perform a much more traditional and sober-sided enka/Mood Kayo. Looking at his discography on J-Wiki, I just saw a long line of variations on the MatsuKen theme over several years so it was refreshing to see and then hear "Sapporo Aishuu" (Sapporo Sorrow).
It's a very regular enka tune that was released in 2014 and created by Mitsuo Ikeda and Tetsuya Gen（池田充男・弦哲也）, with Matsudaira warbling about the one he lost in Sapporo. After listening to the melodic tropes for "Sapporo Aishuu", I suddenly had a craving for a Sapporo beer and I'm still not much of a drinker.
Hi J-Canuck.
ReplyDeleteKen Matsudaira came across as a comedian when he first appeared on stage in a glittery kimono and danced to "MatsuKen Samba II", so seeing him in a much more serious mien while singing an enka song that already says "anguish" in its title was quite surprising. His stature also makes him rather imposing while in a proper suit; he looked more convincing as the boss of the "company" than Hiroshi Itsuki!
Hmm, I just found out that Tetsuya Gen was the one responsible for the tune of "Sapporo Aishu"... Listening to it carefully this time, it definitely has the tropes of a Gen-composed song - accordion and the strumming of the acoustic guitar at a higher note.
Hi Noelle.
DeleteYeah, with Itsuki next to Matsudaira, the former definitely looked more like the kacho next to Chairman Ken. Speaking of which, MatsuKen is a pretty imposing fellow but I was surprised to find out that he's actually a centimetre shorter than Ikuzo Yoshi; well, in any case, they are basically the same height.